'Epic achievement!' Internet rejoices as Odysseus becomes first US spacecraft to land on moon since 1972

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA: After over fifty years, the United States has once again landed a spacecraft on the Moon. On Thursday evening, February 22, NASA's Odysseus lander successfully touched down on the Malapert A crater near the lunar south pole, marking the first American craft to land on the Moon's surface since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Nicknamed Odie, the historic robot lander is already being hailed for ushering in an exciting new era of lunar exploration, with many more missions to follow in the coming years as NASA plans its return of astronauts, as per Daily Mail.

Odysseus finds its new home

The $118 million robot lander was developed by Houston-based company Intuitive Machines with backing from NASA.

It launched last week from Cape Canaveral on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of a mission to gather information on lunar environmental conditions and test new technologies in advance of NASA's anticipated return of astronauts to the moon later this decade as part of the Artemis program.

"Houston, Odysseus has found its new home," exclaimed an elated Dr Tim Crain, mission director, shortly after receiving confirmation of signal from the lunar surface.

"I know this was a nail-biter, but we are on the surface and transmitting," said Steve Altemus, CEO of private space company Intuitive Machines which operated the Odie lander. "Welcome to the moon."

Odysseus makes flawless moon landing

Odie's flawless moon landing marks a major success for NASA's initiative to partner with private companies, after Astrobotic Technology's Peregrine lander failed in a similar attempt just last month.

"Today is a day that shows the power and promise of NASA's commercial partnerships," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a video statement. "Congratulations to everyone involved in this great and daring quest."

Achieving the precise lunar touchdown did not come without challenges. The Odie lander's own navigation system unexpectedly stopped working mid-flight, forcing engineers to quickly switch to an experimental laser guidance system built by NASA to steer the craft.

While flight controllers rapidly worked to confirm landing, images from Odie's descent and soundtrack of communications with mission control captivated viewers tuned in to the livestream on NASA TV.

Internet hails America's historic return to the moon

Soon after NASA announced Odie's flawless landing, the internet erupted into celebration of America's long-awaited return to Earth's celestial neighbor. One X user expressed their enthusiasm, stating, "Congratulations to the entire team on this accomplishment! Thanks for bringing the US back to the moon!"

Another user added to the jubilation, saying, "Congrats IM & @NASA on this major accomplishment." A third user shared their awe, commenting, "Unbelievable generational achievement with many important firsts - HUGE congrats!!"

The sentiment of appreciation continued as another individual remarked, "Outstanding work - and thank you for letting us follow along!" A fifth user enthusiastically chimed in, "Outstanding Odie!!!! Great job to you all!!!" The overwhelming positivity extended further with a sixth user noting, "I’m sure the moon is happy to have a new friend." Another user said, Congratulations! "Epic achievement! I can’t wait for the verdict! Any news about the 'faint' signal?"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.