US spacecraft on the moon ‘caught a foot’ and tipped onto side, says Nasa

Intuitive Machines CEO says Odysseus tipped over and ended up on its side as it landed onto south polar region

Odysseus, the first US-built spacecraft to touchdown on the moon in more than half a century, is tipped over on its side, according to an update from Nasa and Intuitive Machines, the company that built and operated the lander.

The robotic lander descended onto the south polar region of the moon on Thursday at 6.23pm ET. But several minutes passed before flight controllers were able to pick up a signal from the lander’s communication systems.