The telemetry data of the Odysseus spacecraft has confirmed that the EagleCam instrument, an onboard camera system on the Odysseus spacecraft, is still fully operational, and the team that built this instrument now intends to deploy its camera system to capture the current status of the Odysseus spacecraft on the lunar surface.
The students of Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University designed and developed this miniature satellite camera system, named EagleCam, which Odysseus spacecraft carried to the lunar surface.
The EagleCam instrument was originally planned to be deployed during the Odysseus spacecraft’s final lunar descent to capture the spacecraft’s moon landing moments.
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But that could not be done because the spacecraft encountered a software glitch with its communication and navigation system during its final descent. As a result, the EagleCam instrument was kept shut down and not deployed to ensure the soft landing of Odysseus spacecraft.
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The EagleCam instrument deployment plan was changed again as the spacecraft landed softly on the lunar surface but with an unexpected attitude. Telemetry data from the spacecraft shows that it is not standing upright on the lunar surface, but rather, it is lying on its side.
Related article: Odysseus moon lander tipped over on the lunar surface during landing
The faculty lead of the EagleCam team, Dr. Troy Henderson, said in a statement:
“We are currently running simulations which show that EagleCam should deploy a total distance of somewhere between 3 to 5 meters, with a best guess at about 4.1 meters.”
They also added, “That distance would give the device, during its ejection from the side of the lander, an opportunity to capture photographs of Odysseus’ orientation and overall health. The imagery would then be transferred via Wi-Fi back to the lander and then transmitted down to engineers on Earth for analysis.”
Although the EagleCam team is eagerly awaiting the deployment of their instrument, the current timeline for deployment remains unknown. Perhaps it is relying on Intuitive Machines, the private US company that sent the Odysseus spacecraft.
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