UPDATE 5-Odysseus moon lander still operational, in final hours before battery dies

Odysseus, the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the moon since 1972, neared the end of its fifth day on the lunar surface still operational, but with its battery in its final hours before the vehicle is expected to go dark, according to flight controllers. Texas-based Intuitive Machines said in an online update on Tuesday that its control center in Houston remained in contact with the lander as it "efficiently sent payload science data and imagery in furtherance of the company's mission objectives." The spacecraft reached the lunar surface last Thursday after an 11th-hour navigational glitch and white-knuckle descent that ended with Odysseus landing in a sideways or sharply tilted position that has impeded its communications and solar-charging capability.