Complications with internal navigation caused imagery to be taken after touchdown
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University provided an EagleCam system that captured images of the landing
Odysseus successfully landed on the moon
The lander was built by Intuitive Machines and operated by NASA's NDL (Navigation Doppler Lidar)
On February 25th, a private spacecraft named Odysseus successfully landed on the moon. The lander was built by Intuitive Machines and operated by NASA's NDL (Navigation Doppler Lidar). Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University provided an EagleCam system that captured images of the landing, but complications with internal navigation caused imagery to be taken after touchdown. The lander is currently upright and has good telemetry, solar charging, and overall health.
Intuitive Machines Odysseus spacecraft landed on the moon but tipped over at touchdown.
The lander is laying on its side after coming in a little faster than expected, likely catching its foot on the surface at the moment of landing.
Odysseus still has solar panels getting enough light to keep it charged and NASA science payloads are collecting data from the journey, descent and landing.
The team plans to eject EagleCam developed by students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University perhaps as soon as this weekend.
Intuitive Machines discovered its laser range finders were not working due entirely to human error but made a last-second adjustment using NASA payloads instead.
Odysseus' mission is expected to last a little over a week, until lunar night falls.
Accuracy
Intuitive Machines discovered its laser range finders were not working due entirely to human error but made a last-second adjustment using NASA payloads instead.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the initial assessment by Intuitive Machines that Odysseus had landed properly was incorrect. Secondly, the use of stale telemetry to explain why Odysseus did not land upright is misleading as it implies that there were no other factors at play. Thirdly, the article does not disclose any sources and only quotes Cheyenne MacDonald from Intuitive Machines.
The initial assessment by Intuitive Machines that Odysseus had landed properly was incorrect.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it mentions that NASA has been able to communicate with the lander despite its position. This implies that communication is only possible if everything went perfectly and there were no issues during landing or after landing. However, this statement ignores the fact that Odysseus was designed for such a situation and had backup systems in place to ensure successful communication even if something went wrong. The second fallacy is an example of inflammatory rhetoric when it mentions that Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said
The initial assessment was that Odysseus had landed properly
Further analysis indicated otherwise.
All things considered, it seems to be doing well.
Bias
(75%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the spacecraft by referring to it as an 'art installation' rather than a scientific instrument or vehicle. This is likely due to its creator being Jeff Koons, who is known for his controversial art pieces. Additionally, the company behind the spacecraft has financial ties with NASA and other government agencies which could influence their reporting on the mission.
The author refers to Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander as an 'art installation', rather than a scientific instrument or vehicle.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Cheyenne MacDonald has a financial tie to Intuitive Machines as she is an employee of the company.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Cheyenne MacDonald has a conflict of interest on the topic of Intuitive Machines as she is an employee at NASA. She also has a personal relationship with Steve Altemus and Tim Crain who are involved in the project.
Odysseus got tripped up just before touchdown and now rests horizontally on its side on the lunar surface.
The lander was approaching the surface faster than expected and may have possibly fractured one of the legs of its landing gear as it tipped over gently.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Odysseus landed on its side when it was actually tipped over and resting horizontally on the lunar surface. Secondly, the author uses sensationalist language such as 'tripped up' and 'lander has tipped', which is not accurate or appropriate for a scientific article. Thirdly, the author quotes Steve Altemus saying that Odysseus was approaching faster than expected and may have fractured one of its legs when it landed, but does not provide any evidence to support this claim.
tripped up just before touchdown
The lander has tipped
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by stating that only five countries have successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon. This statement is not supported by evidence and can be seen as biased.
Bias
(80%)
The article reports that the Odysseus moon lander tipped over on its side during a historic mission. The author of the article is Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines who built the lander. He explains that data being sent from Odysseus revealed its horizontal resting situation and suggests it may have caught a foot in the surface as it descended vertically and laterally, causing it to tip over gently. The article also mentions other failed attempts by Japanese spacecrafts to land on the moon which further supports this bias.
Lunar lander Odysseus:Spacecraft tipped over and landed on its side on the moon's surface. What happens now? Is Odysseus on its side?
Odysseus got tripped up just before touchdown and now rests horizontally on its side on the lunar surface
The data being sent from Odysseus revealed its horizontal resting situation
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's EagleCam system has landed on the moon
The lander is upright and has good telemetry, solar charging, and overall health
EagleCam will capture images of the lander to provide critical insight into its orientation, health and additional mission support
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that EagleCam has landed on the moon when it hasn't yet been deployed. Secondly, they claim that Odysseus is upright and healthy but do not provide any evidence to support this claim.
The article states 'EagleCam has landed on the moon' but there are no images or data provided to support this statement.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Embry-Riddle has been able to quickly pivot over the past 36 hours due to their agility and adaptability. This is not a formal fallacy but it does suggest that the author believes in these qualities without providing evidence for them. Additionally, there are several instances of inflammatory rhetoric used throughout the article such as
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that the EagleCam team is working closely with Intuitive Machines to deploy EagleCam as soon as possible. This implies that there may be some urgency in getting the device deployed and capturing images of the lander on the lunar surface. However, it's not clear what specific information they hope to gain from these images or how this will help with mission support.
The EagleCam team is now working closely with IM to deploy EagleCam as soon as possible.
The historic event was the first time a U.S. spacecraft has landed on Earth's only natural satellite since 1972.
Intuitive Machines built and operated the Odysseus lunar lander that successfully landed on the Moon.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that NASA has not stated how many of the dozen payloads aboard the spacecraft are believed to be properly functioning. This statement implies that NASA's word should be taken as fact without any evidence or reasoning provided.
NASA, a co-sponsor of the mission, has not stated how many of the dozen payloads aboard the spacecraft are believed to be properly functioning.
Bias
(85%)
The author has a clear bias towards the success of the mission and is heavily promoting it. The article repeatedly mentions that this is the first time in decades that a US spacecraft has landed on Earth's only natural satellite, which creates an emotional connection with readers. Additionally, there are multiple instances where positive language such as 'stunning photos', 'success', and 'learning more about the vehicle's specific information' are used to describe the mission.
Flight controllers are communicating and commanding the vehicle to download science data.
Lunar lander captures stunning pictures of space (Intuitive Machines)
The historic event was the first time a U.S. spacecraft has landed on Earth’s only natural satellite since 1972.
