Johnson Space Center

NASA, Intuitive Machines Share Images from the Moon, Provide Science Updates

Spacecraft descends to lunar surface with lander legs extended — Odysseus’ landing captured a leg, as it performed its primary task, absorbing first contact with the lunar surface. With the lander’s liquid methane and liquid oxygen engine still throttling, it provided stability. Credit: Intuitive Machines

NASA and Intuitive Machines co-hosted a news conference on Feb. 28 to provide a status update on the six NASA instruments that collected data on the IM-1 mission.

Mission challenges and successes were discussed during the briefing including more than 350 megabits of science data downloaded ready for analysis. During transit, all powered NASA payloads operated and received data. During descent and landing, guidance and navigation data was collected that will help improve landing precision in the future, and all three payloads that were designed to operate on the surface have received data.

The first images from the lunar surface are now available and showcase the orientation of the lander along with a view of the South Pole region on the Moon. Intuitive Machines believes the two actions captured in one of their images enabled Odysseus to gently lean into the lunar surface, preserving the ability to return scientific data. After successfully transmitting the image to Earth, there is additional insight into Odysseus’ position on the lunar surface.

On Feb. 22, NASA science instruments and technology on board Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander, called Odysseus, landed on the Moon’s South Pole region, marking the United States’ first return since Apollo 17. This was also the first landing as part of the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative — transmitting valuable science data of each NASA payload from the lunar surface.

Additional updates can be found by watching the news conference here.

Taken on Tuesday, Feb. 27, Odysseus captured an image using its narrow-field-of-view camera. Credit: Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines Updates IM-1 Mission Landing Time

NASA science is taking another orbit around the Moon. Flight controllers chose to complete an additional orbit before beginning the IM-1 Mission landing sequence. The updated landing time is 6:24 pm. EST.

NASA coverage of the mission will begin at 5 p.m. on NASA+, NASA TV, and the agency’s website.

Intuitive Machines, NASA Science Progress Toward Moon Landing

Odysseus passes over the near side of the Moon after entering lunar orbit insertion on February 21. Credit: Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander has completed lunar orbit insertion successfully and is currently orbiting the Moon. Odysseus continues to be in excellent health and is approximately 60 miles (92km) from the Moon.

The spacecraft will orbit the Moon for approximately one day before beginning its descent toward the lunar surface. The landing opportunity is targeted for Thursday, Feb. 22, at 5:30 p.m. EST.

All powered NASA science instruments on board have completed their transit checkouts, received data, and are operating as expected, including: LN-1 (Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator), NDL (Navigation Doppler Lidar for Precise Velocity and Range Sensing), RFMG (Radio Frequency Mass Gauge), ROLSES (Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the Photoelectron Sheath), SCALPSS (Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies). Since the LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array) instrument is a passive experiment designed for the lunar surface, it cannot conduct any operations in transit.

LN-1 has made three successful passes with NASA’s Deep Space Network, establishing real-time communications with ground stations on Earth. Upon lunar touchdown, the LN-1 team will conduct a full systems checkout and begin continuous operations within 24 hours of landing. NASA’s Deep Space Network will receive its transmissions, capturing telemetry, Doppler tracking, and other data and relaying it back to Earth.

A SCALPSS checkout was completed during transit, confirming the cameras are operating as expected and the instrument is in good health. Using four tiny cameras, SCALPSS will collect imagery of how the surface changes from interactions with the spacecraft’s engine plume as the lander descends toward the Moon.

RFMG continues to gauge the cryogenic propellants on Odysseus throughout the mission, including propellant loading, transit, lunar orbit insertion burn, and low lunar orbit. Data collection and analysis will continue through landing on the Moon and could provide insights on how to measure fuel in microgravity.

NDL and ROLSES have been operated, and flight controllers will continue to monitor the instruments and collect data to inform preparations for landing.

Odysseus’ Terrain Relative Navigation camera captures the Bel’kovich K crater on the Moon’s northern equatorial highlands. The crater has an approximate 50 km diameter with mountains in the center, made when the crater was formed. Credit: Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission is the company’s first mission through the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which aims to gain new insights into the lunar environment and expand the lunar economy to support future crewed missions under NASA’s Artemis campaign.

Follow along with Intuitive Machines for the latest operational updates on their mission.

NASA Science Aboard Intuitive Machines Continues Journey to Moon

A view of Earth and one of Odysseus’ fuel pressurant tanks aboard the IM-1 mission. Intuitive Machines is a commercial company that has been contracted by NASA to send its science and technology instruments to the Moon. Colombia Sportswear is a commercial payload contracted with Intuitive Machines. — A view of Earth and one of Odysseus’ fuel pressurant tanks aboard the IM-1 mission. Intuitive Machines is a commercial company that has been contracted by NASA to send its science and technology instruments to the Moon. Columbia Sportswear is a commercial payload contracted with Intuitive Machines. Credit: Intuitive Machines

After a successful launch on Feb. 15, six NASA science instruments and technology demonstrations continue their journey to the Moon aboard Intuitive Machines’ lander named Odysseus. The company confirmed communications contact with its mission operations control in Houston, and its lander continues to perform as expected.

Known as IM-1, Intuitive Machines successfully transmitted its first images back to Earth on Feb. 16. These were captured shortly after separation from SpaceX’s second stage, on Intuitive Machines’ first journey to the Moon as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and Artemis campaign.

Within an hour of launching, NASA confirmed data was streaming from the agency’s powered science and technology instruments aboard the flight. This means data from these instruments was automatically streaming back to the teams so NASA could monitor the health and status of its instruments.

Later, Intuitive Machines successfully commissioned Odysseus’ engine which means they exercised the engine’s complete flight profile, including the throttling required for landing. The engine, which uses liquid methane and liquid oxygen, is the first of its kind fired in space.

One of the NASA instruments, the Radio Frequency Mass Gauge is gauging the cryogenic propellants on Odysseus throughout the mission. Data files have been collected and many have been downloaded for analysis. Throughout the propellant loading phase that took place before launch, the instrument collected data, which was downloaded and analyzed in near-real time. Data also is being collected during the microgravity transit phase of the mission. This analysis will continue through landing on the Moon.

Another NASA instrument, Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator, integrates navigation and communication functionality. This science instrument will operate for the first time today and daily during the cruise phase as the landing date draws closer. The radio beacon is designed to support precise geolocation and navigation observations to orbiters, landers, and surface personnel, digitally confirming their positions on the Moon relative to other craft, ground stations, or rovers on the move. The check-out helps prepare to land on the Moon as the navigation demonstrator aims to gather this data throughout the duration of the surface operations phase of the mission. Over the next day, flight controllers will analyze the data from this procedure to inform preparations for landing on Thursday, Feb. 22.

Follow along with Intuitive Machines for the latest operational updates on their mission.

A view of Earth captured by a 186-degree wide field of view camera aboard Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lunar. The start of this image sequence occurred 100 seconds after separation and lasts for two hours. Credit: Intuitive Machines

Tune in to This Week’s Prelaunch Events for First Robotic Artemis Moon Flight

Ahead of launch as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander is preparing to be encapsulated in the payload fairing, or nose cone, of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket on Nov. 21, 2023, at Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One will carry NASA and commercial payloads to the Moon in early 2024 to study the lunar exosphere, thermal properties, and hydrogen abundance of the lunar regolith, magnetic fields, and the radiation environment of the lunar surface. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance

Beginning at 11 a.m. EST today, tune in to NASA TV or the agency’s website for NASA’s lunar science media teleconference, which will highlight the NASA payloads flying on Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander to the Moon as part of the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis program.

Participants include:

Chris Culbert, Program Manager, NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services
Niki Werkheiser, director, Technology Maturation, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Paul Niles, CLPS project scientist, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
Nic Stoffle, science and operations lead for Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer, NASA Johnson
Tony Colaprete, principal investigator, Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System, NASA’s Ames Research Center
Richard Elphic, principal investigator, Neutron Spectrometer System, NASA’s Ames Research Center
Barbara Cohen, principal investigator, Peregrine Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Daniel Cremons, deputy principal investigator for Laser Retroreflector Array, NASA Goddard

Then at 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5, there will be a lunar delivery readiness media teleconference to confirm all payloads are go for launch.

Participants include:

Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for Exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Ryan Watkins, program scientist, Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office, NASA Headquarters
John Thornton, CEO, Astrobotic
Gary Wentz, vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA
Melody Lovin, launch weather officer, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron

United Launch Alliance is scheduled to launch its Vulcan rocket and Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander at 2:18 a.m. EST Jan. 8 from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Peregrine is targeting landing on the Moon on Feb. 23, 2024. The NASA payloads aboard the lander aim to help the agency develop capabilities needed to explore the Moon under Artemis and in advance of human missions on the lunar surface. Peregrine will land on a mare – an ancient hardened lava flow – outside of the Gruithuisen Domes, a geologic enigma along the mare/highlands boundary on the northeast border of Oceanus Procellarum, or Ocean of Storms, the largest dark spot on the Moon. The payloads will investigate the lunar exosphere, thermal properties of the lunar regolith, hydrogen abundances in the soil at the landing site, magnetic fields, and conduct radiation environment monitoring.

To learn more about some of the scientific research and technology demonstrations flying to the Moon as part of the CLPS initiative visit https://www.nasa.gov/clps