If successful, this will be the first private mission to make a soft landing on the Moon
Intuitive Machines announced the launch of its lander in a «multi-day window», which opens on February 14th. The Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A at 12:57 p.m.
Hours after SpaceX announced it would launch NASA's Earth Science mission on a different Falcon 9 rocket, an Intuitive Machines spokesperson confirmed a date of February 14th, previously unknown to NASA organizations and Intuitive Machines itself.
«Intuitive Machines is scheduled to launch on February 14, Valentine's Day», — said Julianna Sheiman, SpaceX's director of civil satellite missions, at a briefing held Feb. 5.
An important step before launch is the fueling test or dress rehearsal, which is scheduled for February 7. This step is critical for the IM-1 lander, as liquid oxygen and methane must be loaded on the launch pad before launch. This procedure required changes to the LC-39A infrastructure.
«On February 7, we will hold a dress rehearsal before the launch of this spacecraft», — Sheiman explained to confirm the possibility of refueling the spacecraft located on the site.
While Intuitive Machines announced a multi-day window for the launch, Sheiman said the mission only has a three-day window from February 14th to 16th. Previously, Intuitive Machines reported that the attempt to reach the Moon could take place on February 22.
Lander «Odysseus» weighing 675 kg, it will deliver six scientific payloads for NASA as part of the CLPS program, totaling $118,000,000. It will also deliver six commercial payloads, including orders from sportswear company Columbia and artist Jeff Koons. Commercial payloads will include Eaglecam — a camera developed by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students that will be «ejected» from the lander during its descent to the lunar surface to film the process.
If the IM-1 mission is successful, it will be the first private mission to make a soft landing on the Moon after three previous failed attempts. The Beresheet lander from the Israeli company SpaceIL crashed during its attempt to land on the Moon in 2019. The Japanese company ispace's HAKUTO-R M1 lander also crashed in April 2023. Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander suffered a fuel leak just hours after launch on January 8th.