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Intuitive Machines faces early end to moon mission after lander tips over


Intuitive Machines' first lunar mission will be cut short due to the lander's position on its side, officials said Tuesday.

Intuitive Machines’ first moon mission will come to a premature end due to the spacecraft landing on its side, which altered how the solar panels are positioned in relation to the sun, the company said in an update Tuesday morning. But the momentous success was somewhat dashed when company officials revealed in a televised press briefing the following day that the spacecraft had actually tipped over at some point during landing. Company officials later revealed that the laser range finders stopped working due to human error and trade-offs made to save time and money, rather than any technical issues.

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