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The Odysseus lunar lander is on its side and will likely run out of energy soon


A Jeff Koons statue is on the Moon.

During a press conference Friday, executives explained the safety switches for the lander’s two range finder lasers were enabled, meaning they couldn’t be used to guide the craft during its landing, The New York Times reports. Engineers working for Intuitive Machines scrambled last minute and designed a software patch to retrieve the required altitude and velocity data from the NASA system to ensure the spacecraft’s safe landing. Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus also confirmed during the briefing that the only cargo on the side facing down is a piece of art sent by a commercial customer, referring to the sculpture of 125 miniature moons designed by the artist Jeff Koons.

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