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Intuitive Machines IM-1 Set For Moon Landing Tomorrow; How To Watch

Charles Boyer
The Moon, as seen from Kennedy Space Center, the launch site of Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 Nova-C lander “Odysseus.”
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

NASA and Intuitive Machines are planning to land the IM-1 Nova-C lunar lander “Odysseus” on the moon’s surface tomorrow, and so far, everything is going well for the mission.

IM has been remarkably transparent and informative throughout the duration of the mission so far, and have been issuing daily updates on the vehicle status and their activities as Odysseus travels cislunar space.

Mission Status on February 21: In Orbit Around The Moon

IM issued a late update with a new landing time late this afternoon:

Flight controllers analyzed the post-Lunar Orbit Insertion engine burn data and updated the anticipated flight maneuver timing, including an expected 1630 CST landing opportunity on Thursday. The landing opportunity will be Odysseus’ hardest challenge yet. The lander continues to be in excellent health, orbiting approximately 92 km above the lunar surface. (21FEB2024 1645 CST)

Intuitive Machines on X, February 21, 2024

IM has issed on update at 09:20 AM CST (10:20 local time):

Odysseus completed its scheduled 408-second main engine lunar orbit insertion burn and is currently in a 92 km circular lunar orbit. Initial data indicates the 800 m/s burn was completed within 2 m/s accuracy.

After traveling over 1,000,000 km, Odysseus is now closer to the Moon than the end-to-end distance driving across Space City, Houston, TX.

Over the next day, while the lander remains in lunar orbit, flight controllers will analyze the complete flight data and transmit imagery of the Moon.

Odysseus continues to be in excellent health.

Intuitive Machines on X, February 21, 2024

Yesterday, IM issued an update at 4:00 PM CST (5:00 PM local time):

Intuitive Machines flight controllers commanded the IM-1 mission’s second planned Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM) with enough precision to eliminate the need for the initially planned third TCM engine firing.

Today’s TCM fired at 1400 CST for 8 seconds, and it is the final maneuver before Odysseus’ largest challenge to date, Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI), scheduled for February 21, 2024. Odysseus continues to be in excellent health and is approximately 68,000 km from the Moon. Over the next several hours, flight controllers will continue to analyze the flight data ahead of LOI.

Intuitive Machines on X, February 20, 2024

Once the spacecraft achieves lunar orbit, mission controllers can begin final preparations for the landing attempt. That landing is currently scheduled for no earlier than 5:49 PM EST.

Landing Zone

The landing site selected for this mission is Malapert A, a satellite crater to Malapert, a 69 km crater in the Moon’s south pole region. Named after Charles Malapert, a 17th-century Belgian astronomer, the area around the landing site is believed to be made of lunar highland material, similar to Apollo 16’s landing site in the Descartes Highlands.

Oblique image showing the IM-1 landing area, acquired from an altitude of 78 kilometers with a slew angle of 64° on 2023-04-02. North is to the right, 57 kilometers wide at the center, LROC NAC M1435077792LR Photo: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

Experiments Aboard

NASA said that “the Lunar Node-1 experiment, or LN-1, is a radio beacon designed to support precise geolocation and navigation observations for landers, surface infrastructure, and astronauts, digitally confirming their positions on the Moon relative to other craft, ground stations, or rovers on the move. These radio beacons also can be used in space to help with orbital maneuvers and with guiding landers to a successful touchdown on the lunar surface.”

Odysseus will then have seven days to complete experiments on the lunar surface before the lunar night sets on the south pole of the Moon, rendering the spacecraft inoperable.

Utility of Lunar Node-1

“Imagine getting verification from a lighthouse on the shore you’re approaching, rather than waiting on word from the home port you left days earlier,” said Evan Anzalone, principal investigator of LN-1 and a navigation systems engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “What we seek to deliver is a lunar network of lighthouses, offering sustainable, localized navigation assets that enable lunar craft and ground crews to quickly and accurately confirm their position instead of relying on Earth.”

Landing Coverage

Live landing coverage will air on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates beginning around an hour before the anticipated landing attempt.

Upon successful landing, Intuitive Machines and NASA will host a news conference to discuss the mission and science opportunities ahead as the company begins lunar surface operations.

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