
A representational image displaying a rocket launch. — Unsplash
Intuitive Machines has announced that its initial lunar lander has finished all final integration and is currently enclosed in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 payload fairing, where it will remain until the launch on February 14.
The mission launch window is set to open at 12:57 a.m. EST, but if there are any weather or other issues causing a delay, SpaceX has three days to carry out the launch. The schedule is tight because the lander is on a direct trajectory to the moon and is expected to land near the lunar south pole, where specific lighting conditions for landing are only available a few days each month.
Intuitive Machines was quick to recognise the commercial potential of the moon during its initial lunar mission, securing a contract from NASA for the mission in 2019, Tech Crunch reported.
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The joint venture is expected to attract significant attention, especially following the unsuccessful lunar landing attempt by another American company, Astrobotic, whose lander experienced a propellant leak on January 18.
Both companies were chosen by NASA for their missions as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which aims to procure transportation services to the moon from private industry. In total, NASA has allocated $118 million to Intuitive Machines to transport six science and technology payloads to the lunar surface.
The CLPS program plays a crucial role in the Artemis program by utilising commercial providers to transport scientific payloads to the moon's surface, gathering data to support future manned missions.
The company aims to establish commercial viability in the emerging lunar economy by developing lunar landers, a lunar data relay service, a lunar rover, and other technologies and services for both the moon's surface and cislunar space.
“The IM-1 mission’s success will lay the groundwork for a burgeoning lunar economy, opening new possibilities for research, commerce, and exploration. By advancing our capabilities to operate on the lunar surface, the mission sets the stage for more ambitious endeavors, including the establishment of lunar bases and the exploration of potential resources,” the company said in a press last week.
Apart from the six NASA payloads, the lander will transport several commercial payloads for clients such as Columbia Sportswear and contemporary artist Jeff Koons. The lander, known as Odysseus, is projected to function for seven days on the moon before the onset of the long lunar night.