Intuitive Machines IM-1 Mission Update
Intuitive Machines IM-1 Mission Update
NASA and the Company Say the Mission has Been a Success
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.
"We did land upright, we captured data, and then we tilted over slowly ... in about two seconds."
Steve Altemus, Intuitive Machines
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.
Images returned from the Moon by Odysseus show the lander tilting about 30 degrees "still more upright than we previously thought," said Steve Altemus, Co-founder and CEO of Intuitive Machines, during the news conference. "We did land upright, we captured data, and then we tilted over slowly ... in about two seconds ... and then we came to rest either on the opposite helium tank or a computer shelf, and we were able to communicate, get all six payloads' data back, plus all the commercial payloads, and continue to transmit as we go forward."
Intuitive Machines’ second awarded flight, IM-2, is scheduled to land at the lunar South Pole later this year. This will be the first on site, or in-situ, resource utilization demonstration on the Moon utilizing a drill and mass spectrometer to measure the volatile content of subsurface materials.