A private lunar lander circled the moon while aiming for a touchdown Thursday that would put the U.S. back on the surface for the first time since NASA’s famed Apollo moonwalkers. Controllers are working to reestablish contact with the lander after the touchdown attempt Thursday evening. The mission director said the lander is on the surface of the moon and is transmitting a signal, which they are working to refine. Intuitive Machines was striving to become the first private business to successfully pull off a lunar landing, a feat achieved by only five countries. A rival company’s lander missed the moon last month. The newest lander, named Odysseus, reached the moon Wednesday, six days after rocketing from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lander maneuvered into a low lunar orbit in preparation for an early evening touchdown. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/nation-world/intuitive-machines-odysseus-lunar-lander-moon-landing-attempt/507-9c84f37e-2d39-4125-b84e-c527f0b20669 ►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube ►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/ ►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay ►X: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay