“The 14-foot-tall lander tipped over when it touched down on the moon after its foot caught on a rock.”

Moon landing goes sideways: Odysseus mission will be cut short after craft tipped over

Flight controllers are expected to lose contact Tuesday or Wednesday with the Odysseus lunar lander – just days after it toppled over while completing a historic moon landing.

The private U.S. spacecraft made it to the moon last Thursday and ushered in a new era of lunar missions since NASA’s Apollo program ended five decades ago.

Then things went, well, sideways.

Intuitive Machines, the Houston space company that built Odysseus, said it’s likely that the 14-foot-tall lander tipped over when it touched down on the moon after its foot caught on a rock. Fortunately for Intuitive Machines – and for NASA, the mission’s primary customer – the lander maintained limited function even though its antennas were not pointed at Earth.

USA Today, February 27, 2024

This story isn’t funny. Maybe a little funny. No one got hurt, unless the moon lander is a person.

A lesson. In humility. In chaos and randomness. Of all the rocks in all the universe its foot got caught in that one.

I asked ChatGPT what the odds of this happening are:

The odds of a moon lander tripping over a rock on the moon depend on various factors, including the size and distribution of rocks on the lunar surface, the design and capabilities of the lander, and the precision of the landing process.

Here are some considerations:

Rock Distribution: The lunar surface is covered with rocks of various sizes, ranging from small pebbles to larger boulders. The density of rocks can vary significantly depending on the landing site.

Lander Design: The design of the lander plays a crucial role. Modern lunar landers are equipped with advanced navigation and hazard avoidance systems to detect and avoid obstacles during descent and landing. These systems use cameras, radar, LIDAR, or other sensors to assess the terrain and make adjustments to the landing trajectory accordingly.

Landing Site Selection: Landing sites are carefully chosen to minimize the risk of encountering hazardous terrain such as large rocks or steep slopes. Site selection involves extensive mapping and analysis of the lunar surface to identify safe and scientifically valuable locations.

Mission Planning and Execution: Mission planners take into account the potential risks associated with landing on the moon and develop strategies to mitigate them. This includes optimizing the landing trajectory, conducting simulations and tests, and implementing contingency plans in case of unexpected obstacles.

Overall, while the possibility of a moon lander tripping over a rock cannot be completely ruled out, modern spacecraft are designed and equipped to minimize such risks through careful planning, advanced technology, and thorough testing.

Uh-huh.

© Copyright 2024 by Bob Schwartz