Odysseus was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, by Elon Musk, on February 15, after it managed to enter lunar orbit on Thursday, February 21.

Odysseus, an unmanned spacecraft developed by Houston-based Intuitive Machines, touched down on the moon's surface this evening as part of the IM-1 mission. This is the first time that an American spacecraft has landed on the moon in more than 50 years.

The Odysseus spacecraft descended from lunar orbit to land shortly after 11:30 p.m. Thursday (6:30 p.m. in the US) at the moon's south pole, according to a live broadcast from NASA.

“I know this was a nail fight, but we're on the roof [lunar] “We are sending,” said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, quoted by CNN Internacional. “Welcome to the moon,” he said.

The landing occurred after an 11-hour malfunction in the ship's autonomous navigation system, forcing engineers on the ground to find an alternative solution.

It is still unclear what the status of the spacecraft is, taking into account the difficulties during landing. However, Intuitive Machines ensures that they remain connected to the ship.

Odysseus was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, by Elon Musk, on February 15, after it managed to enter lunar orbit on Thursday, February 21.