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NASA is gearing up for a commercial robotic flight to the Moon under the agency\u2019s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign. Intuitive Machines will launch its Nova-C lander on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than Wednesday, Feb. 14, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission will carry six NASA payloads targeted for the South Polar region.<\/p>\n
The group of NASA instruments aboard IM-1 will conduct scientific research and demonstrate technologies to help us better understand the Moon\u2019s environment and improve landing precision and safety in the challenging conditions of the lunar south polar region, paving the way for future Artemis astronaut missions. The payloads will collect data on how the plume of engine gasses interacts with the Moon\u2019s surface and kicks up lunar dust, investigate radio astronomy and space weather interactions with the lunar surface, test precision landing technologies, and measure the quantity of liquid propellant in Nova-C propellant tanks in the zero gravity of space. The Nova-C lander will also carry a retroreflector array that will contribute to a network of location markers on the Moon that will be used as a position marker for decades to come<\/p>\n
The Nova-C lander is targeted to land Thursday, Feb. 22, in a relatively flat and safe area near the Malapert A crater, in the south polar region of the Moon.<\/p>\n
The six NASA payloads aboard Intuitive Machines\u2019 IM-1 mission include:<\/p>\n
Intuitive Machines is one of 14 vendors eligible to carry NASA payloads to the Moon through the agency\u2019s CLPS initiative, which began in 2018. CLPS is an innovative approach connecting NASA with commercial solutions from American companies to deliver scientific, exploration, and technology payloads to the Moon\u2019s surface and into lunar orbit. Through CLPS, NASA aims to gain new insights into the lunar environment and expand the lunar economy to support future crewed missions under the Artemis campaign.<\/p>\n
Learn more about NASA\u2019s CLPS initiative at:<\/p>\n
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