Category Archives: Intuitive Machines

Tuesday / 19 March 2024

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Hopping Lunar Rovers Planned for USA, China and Europe Surface Missions

Unconventional mobility technology that achieve locomotion with bouncing maneuvers / thrusters rather than wheels is headed for the Moon; Intuitive Machines Micro-Nova (29 kg wet) developed with ASU under $41.6M NASA contract to investigate PSR within Marston crater using Canadensys 39°x51 and 186° FoV imagers following deployment from IM-2 Shackleton – de Gerlache connecting ridge landing site (89.5°S, 222.0°E) NET Q4 2024; CNSA Chang’E-7 mini-flying probe to carry Lunar Water Molecular Analyzer into PSR near Shackleton crater rim NET 5 March 2026; ESA-funded 10-kg hopper being developed by Astronika of Poland utilizes parkour-like flipping maneuver to traverse 3-9 meters vertically on Moon whereas IM and CNSA probes to be propelled via thrusters

Credits: Astronika / Space Research Centre of Polish Academy of Sciences, Intuitive Machines, CNSA via Inside Outer Space screengrab

Tuesday / 27 Feb 2024

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Japan and USA Lunar Landers Are Transmitting Data From Lunar Surface

JAXA SLIM is once again functioning on the Moon following 1 lunar night and ~½ lunar day, imaging surrounds 55m east of target landing site (13.3160°S, 25.2510°E) with multiband spectroscopic camera; JAXA hopes to gain additional field of view relative to first observation campaign conducted 30-31 Jan (JST) via new commands for analysis and publication in Japanese Society for Planetary Sciences; Intuitive Machines Odysseus continues to operate from within unnamed 1-km diameter crater with 12° slope at 2,579 meters elevation, ~1.5km from target landing site (80.13°S, 1.44°E), sending imagery and data — albeit at reduced bit rate following orientation anomaly; Power loss may force end of operations morning of 27 Feb (CST) with reactivation possible next lunar day (mid-March)

 

Credits: Intuitive Machines, JAXA
 

Friday / 23 Feb 2024

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Intuitive Machines Is First Commercial Operator Conducting Lunar Surface Communication and Exploration

Human enterprise is active on the Moon for the first time, with the Nova-C class lander Odysseus now in communication with ground controllers at IM Mission Control in Houston TX via Goonhilly Station in UK following 5:24 CST (23:24 UTC) soft landing touchdown near Malapert A crater; NASA Director hails CLPS ‘cosmic bridge’ of public-private cooperation that led to commercial Moon mission carrying 6 NASA and 6 independent payloads including Astronomy from the Moon precursor ILO-X, which will conduct the first imaging of the luminous Milky Way band in visible spectra; Intuitive Machines founder Kam Ghaffarian looking forward to achieving ‘daily trips to the Moon’ while envisioning interstellar travel as ‘ultimate destiny for humanity’

 

Credits: International Lunar Observatory Association, Intuitive Machines

Friday / 16 Feb 2024

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Commercial USA IM-1 Lander Odysseus on Direct Course for Moon

Intuitive Machines of Houston TX working around the clock to achieve first USA Moon landing in 21st century and first commercial landing ever with Nova-C ‘Odie’ on Trans-Lunar Orbit (TLO); Odie is expected to archive Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) on 21 Feb, followed by landing site near the eastern rim of Malapert A crater (80.2°S, 1.0°E) 22 Feb; Carrying 6 NASA and 6 independent payloads under $118M NASA CLPS contract + undisclosed private freight charges, the IM-1 mission was inspired by Space Policy Directive-1 per CEO Steve Altemus; SPD-1 calls for public-private and international partnerships to ‘enable human expansion across the solar system’

Credits: SpaceX, Intuitive Machines, LinkedIn

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 2-5 Feb 2024

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Intuitive Machines Set to Become First Independent Operator on Moon with US$118M Mission

Nova-C class lunar lander Odysseus may make history with expected 22 Feb landing near Malapert A crater (80.2°S, 1°E), ~175 km from the peak of Malapert Massif and ~300 km from MSP; Intuitive Machines will be the fourth commercial attempt at Moon landing, following SpaceIL (Feb 2019), ispace (April 2023) and Astrobotic (Jan 2024) and the first USA landing attempt of any type in over 51 years, since Apollo 11 (Dec 1972); In addition to 5 NASA commissioned science instruments, Odysseus will carry 6 commercial payloads (clockwise): ILO-X (International Lunar Observatory Association), Lunaprise (Galactic Legacy Labs), Independence (Lonestar Data Holdings), Moon Phases (Jeff Koons, 4Space), Omni-Heat Infinity (Columbia Sportswear), and Eaglecam (Embry-Riddle)

Credits: Intuitive Machines

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 Jan 2024

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Astrobotic Looking Forward as Intuitive Machines Prepares its Effort to Land First Commercial Mission on Moon

The first attempted USA commercial lunar lander has returned to Earth, reentering over the South Pacific with undetermined wreckage possibly resting near 23.087°S, 176.594°E ~450 km south of Kadavu (Fiji) and east of Aneityum (Vanuatu) Islands; Despite propellant leak which prevented Moon landing, “There’s a lot that worked” on Peregrine Mission 1, Astrobotic CEO John Thornton told media at joint NASA press conference, while the final mission update declares Peregrine has flown so Griffin may land; Intuitive Machines IM-1 is the next (of up to 9) scheduled CLPS missions, with Nova-C launch window set to open NET 11 Feb; CEO Steve Altemus envisions infrastructure business model “where the company plays the same role as highways, railroads, and shipping lanes are for Earth, but at the moon [sic]” per interview with Spectrum News in Orlando

Credits: Astrobotic

Tuesday / 9 Jan 2024

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11 Days to SLIM Lunar Landing Attempt as Astrobotic Troubleshoots and Intuitive Machines Preps for NET Feb Launch

JAXA SLIM tightening 6.4 hour / 600 x 4,000 km elliptical lunar orbit ahead of maneuvers which are to bring landing craft to 15 x 600 km pre-landing orbit by 19 Jan JST ahead of 20 Jan 12:20 JST (19 Jan 10:20 EST) landing attempt which will employ unique horizontal landing strategy with goal of 100-m landing accuracy; Astrobotic team reestablish Peregrine communication and electrical power following successful ULA Vulcan Centaur launch and subsequent orientation anomaly, reconfiguration of mission may limit operations to lunar orbit and/or transit; Intuitive Machines NOVA-C set to be NASA CLPS next ‘shot on goal’ launching within multi-day window opening mid-Feb

Credits: JAXA, Astrobotic

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 Dec 2023

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3 Lunar Missions Set to Land on Moon Near Side NET January

JAXA SLIM on lunar-bound trajectory as 2 commercial landers supported by NASA CLPS contracts, Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines, prepare for launch: SLIM set for lunar orbit insertion 25 Dec with mid-Jan orbit adjustment followed by landing (13.3°S, 25.2°E) NET 20 Jan 2024 (00:20 JST); Astrobotic Peregrine to launch on ULA Vulcan Centaur NET 24 Dec (1:50 EST), landing near Gruithuisen Domes NET 25 Jan (03:30 EST); Intuitive Machines Nova-C launching on SpaceX Falcon 9 NET 12 Jan, possibly landing (80.3°S, 1.2°E) 19 Jan within hours of SLIM

Credits: NASA, ESA, STScI

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 Dec 2023

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USA Returns to the Moon, Part 1: Commercial Lunar Payload Services

Two Moon landings from USA, first in 51 years, set for new year; Astrobotic Peregrine launching NET Dec 24 / landing NET 25 Jan, Intuitive Machines Nova-C launching NET 12 Jan / landing NET 17 Jan; Both missions are independent efforts with NASA support through CLPS, conceived in May 2018 as commercial alternative to proposed Resource Prospector cancelled in April 2018; The $2.6B / 10-year program announced Nov 2018, with first awards including Astrobotic US$79.5M (TO2-AB), Intuitive Machines $77M (TO2-IM), with initial expected launch in July 2021; In total 8 CLPS landing missions are slated for launch between 2024-2026

Credits: Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, NASA

Thanksgiving Holiday Edition
Thurs-Mon / 23-27 Nov 2023

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A Robust International Moon Landing Schedule in First Half 2024

JAXA Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) lander, Astrobotic Peregrine and Intuitive Machines Nova-C Odysseus are slated to land on near side of Moon NET Jan 2024: SLIM is currently in low-energy transfer targeting 100-m landing site near Shioli crater (13.3°S) mid-Jan, Peregrine awaiting ULA Vulcan Centaur launch from KSC NET 24 Dec with late Jan landing near Gruithuisen Domes (36.56°N), Nova-C working toward late Nov shipping from TX to FL for NET 12 Jan launch on SpaceX F9 to 5-7 day direct transfer for mid-Jan landing near Malapert-A (80.3°S); CNSA Chang’E-6 to launch on Long March 5 NET May 2024 to Apollo crater within far side SPA Basin (43.0°S)

Picutred: SLIM Project Manager Shinichiro Sakai, Astrobotic CEO John Thornton, IM CEO Stephen Altemus, CLEP Designer Sun Jiadong; Credits: JAXA, Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, CNSA, Linkedin