Goa, Feb. 23 -- A private lander named Odysseus successfully touched down on the moon on Thursday, marking the first U.S. spacecraft to reach the lunar surface in over five decades. Despite initial communication challenges, Intuitive Machines, the company behind the craft, confirmed the landing, making history as the first private business to achieve a lunar landing.

Mission director Tim Crain confirmed the landing, although details regarding the condition and exact location of the lander were not immediately available. Intuitive Machines ended its live webcast shortly after confirming touchdown, as controllers worked to refine the signal from Odysseus.

The successful landing places the United States back on the lunar surface for the fi...