The initial American spacecraft to successfully make contact with the moon since the Apollo crew went quiet on Thursday, one week after sustaining a leg injury during its landing and toppling over near the southernmost point of the moon.

The lander named Odysseus from Intuitive Machines exceeded the expected lifespan despite facing damage to its solar power and communication when it landed on its side.

The conclusion occurred when flight controllers were sent a final image from Odysseus and instructed its computer and power systems to switch to standby mode. This will allow the lander to awaken in approximately two to three weeks, assuming it withstands the harsh cold of the lunar night.

According to Josh Marshall, a representative of Intuitive Machines, the lander’s batteries were drained due to these last actions, resulting in Odysseus being “out of commission for a significant period of time.”

“Odie, we wish you a good evening and look forward to receiving communication from you in the future,” stated the company through X, previously known as Twitter.

Prior to losing power, Odysseus transmitted a message that Intuitive Machines referred to as a “suitable final communication.”

Captured before landing, the image displays the underside of the lunar lander resting on the moon’s rugged terrain. The backdrop features a miniature Earth and small sun.

Originally, the lander was expected to function for approximately one week during its time on the moon.

Intuitive Machines, a company based in Houston, successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon on February 22, making them the first private business to do so without crashing. This achievement has only been accomplished by five countries since the 1960s, with Japan being the most recent in February with a sideways landing.

Odysseus carried six experiments for NASA, which paid $118 million for the ride. The first company to take part in NASA’s program for commercial lunar deliveries never made it to the moon; its lander came crashing back to Earth in January.

NASA sees these privately-owned spacecrafts as explorers that will prepare the path for astronauts who are expected to arrive in the next few years.

Before Odysseus, the most recent moon landing by the United States was performed by Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt of Apollo 17 in the year 1972.