A brand new mission is headed in the direction of the Moon, with hopes of touching down on the lunar floor for an opportunity at a historic touchdown. However given the current string of failures, we’re understandably nervous.
Replace: February 15, 9:07 a.m. ET: Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander blasted off on early Thursday morning aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, kickstarting the IM-1 mission. The lander is anticipated to achieve the lunar floor in about eight days.
Replace: February 14, 8:30 a.m. ET: The launch was postponed as a consequence of a fueling glitch, or extra particularly, as a consequence of “off-nominal methane temperatures previous to entering into methane load,” according to NASA. SpaceX is now concentrating on 1:05 a.m. ET on Thursday, February 15.
Authentic article follows.
On Wednesday, Intuitive Machine is set to launch its Nova-C lander on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The liftoff is scheduled for 12:57 a.m. ET from Launch Complicated 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Area Middle in Florida. The Houston-based firm is hoping to be the primary to place a privately-owned lander on the lunar floor after a sequence of failed makes an attempt by others.
If it succeeds, this may definitely be a mission for the books as it’s going to mark the start of a brand new period for the lunar financial system. You possibly can watch the long-anticipated launch reside on NASA Television or the house company’s website. Protection of the launch is about to start at 12:15 a.m. ET. SpaceX can be internet hosting its personal livestream of the launch on the corporate’s account on X. You can too tune in by way of the feed beneath.
The Nova-C lander, named Odysseus, is filled with 12 government-owned and industrial payloads. Six of these payloads are science and expertise devices for NASA, together with a radio astronomy software, precision touchdown applied sciences, and a communication and navigation node for upcoming autonomous navigation exams.
The lander can be carrying a digicam system designed by college students on the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical College that may try and separate itself from the lander earlier than landing to seize the second of descent. Additionally on board is a 1.3-pound dual-camera system referred to as ILO-X which is able to try and seize extensive and slender area photographs of the Milky Manner from the Moon. Different payloads embrace small discs containing messages from Earth, in addition to artwork by Jeff Koons depicting the different phases of the Moon.
The lander is a part of NASA’s Industrial Lunar Payload Companies initiative, whereby the house company companions with firms to launch payloads to the Moon regularly with the bigger purpose of making a sustainable presence on and round Earth’s pure satellite tv for pc.
Touchdown on the Moon is hella tough although. Earlier in January, one other firm, Astrobotic, failed in its try to touch down on the lunar surface. In April 2023, Japan’s ispace Hakuto-R M1 crashed on the lunar floor and Israel’s SpaceIL Beresheet lander met an identical destiny in April 2019.
Odysseus is anticipated to landing on the lunar floor on February 22, and we actually hope this little man makes it.
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