After hours of uncertainty, officials from the Houston company said there are clues that the spacecraft is on its side, which could limit the mission’s scientific accomplishments.

The second U.S.-built lunar spacecraft to reach the moon within a week reached the surface near the moon's south pole, but its position isn't clear. Intuitive Machines' IM-2 mission, a part of NASA's $2.

The mission comes four days after another commercial space company, Firefly Aerospace, successfully landed its spacecraft on the moon.