Intuitive Machines Announces Launch Date for Their First Moon Landing Mission.
On August 14, Intuitive Machines announced that its lunar lander mission, IM-1, is expected to be launched within a 6-day window starting from November 15 at the Kennedy Space Center.
Intuitive Machines is actively preparing for their first lunar landing mission. (Source: Space News)
Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, stated that the company is finalizing testing of the IM-1 lander before transporting it to the launch facility.
He noted: “On August 14, our IM-1 lander completed its testing phases and is set to be taken to the launch site in September.”
IM-1 is not only Intuitive Machines’ first lunar landing mission but may also be the first lander from NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
This mission is also the first of three lunar landing missions that the company is developing as part of the CLPS program.
CEO Altemus mentioned that the company is also constructing the lander structure and integrating NASA payloads for the IM-2 mission. He did not disclose the expected launch date for IM-2, which is believed to be a few months after the IM-1 launch.
According to him, the company is awaiting a decision on another mission designated by NASA to send a drill to the South Pole of the Moon. However, NASA has postponed the awarding of that mission from Q3 2023 to November of the same year.
The company is also bidding for NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle contract to develop robotic vehicles for future lunar exploration missions (Artemis missions).
CEO Altemus hopes that NASA will award several contracts for that program, potentially in Q4.
Intuitive Machines is currently collaborating with Raytheon, a multinational defense and aerospace corporation, on its projects.
The company also leads a team called “Moon Racer” participating in the bidding for NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) selection to send crewed rovers to the Moon. This team includes Northrop Grumman, Boeing, AVL, Michelin, and Roush.
NASA is expected to announce the results of the bidding at the end of August.
