Space
US Moon Lander Fades Into Darkness After Historic Mission
- Company seeks to reawaken moon lander in two to three weeks
- Intuitive Machines broke string of private-sector failures
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The US spacecraft that stumbled during its historic moon landing last week is going dark Wednesday evening, capping a closely watched mission that advanced private-sector space exploration but fell short of customers’ overall goals.
After six days on the moon, the “robust” and “plucky” spacecraft will soon lack the power to transmit data, Steve Altemus, chief executive officer of Intuitive Machines Inc., which built and operated the lander, told reporters on Wednesday.