U.S. company Intuitive Machines will attempt today to become the first private company to land on the Moon. Landing target time is 5:30 PM EST. #Odysseus is carrying a number of NASA experiment packages. The NASA broadcast is scheduled to start at 4:00 PM EST.
BREAKING ... Intuitive Machines on Zombie Twitter says they adjusted #Odysseus orbit overnight to move up today's lunar landing attempt. They're now targeting 4:24 PM EST / 1:24 PM PST.
The NASA live coverage now begins at 3:00 PM EST / 12:00 PM PST at this YouTube link.
BREAKING ... Intuitive Machines flight controllers have decided to fly one more orbit before attempting an #Odysseus landing. The new targeted landing time is 6:24 PM EST / 3:24 PM PST. The NASA webcast will now begin at 5:00 PM EST / 2:00 PM PST.
Here's the web site for Intuitive Machines, the U.S. company about to attempt the first commercial robotic landing on the surface of the Moon. (1/2)
Here's the web site for the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which has been issuing contracts to U.S. private companies to demonstrate the capability to robotically deliver payloads to the lunar surface, part of Project #Artemis.
This is the natural successor to NASA's commercial cargo and crew programs over the last decade. (2/2)
#IM1 launched on February 15, 2024 at 1:05 AM EST from #KSC Launch Complex 39A, atop a #SpaceX #Falcon9.
This is the launch video, indexed to T-1 minute. If the link doesn't take you there, T-1:00 is at the 54:18 mark.
https://www.youtube.com/live/CvdgoX-3WOM?si=C5U02xNxqmZqwnXJ&t=3258
An ancestor of the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program is NextSTEP, which began in 2014 during the #Obama administration. The idea was to seek "commercial development of new capabilities for human missions in deep space."
Here we are, ten years later, and a successor to this pioneer program is about to attempt a robotic lunar landing.
More about NextSTEP at the link.
Not to be a Debbie Downer / Gloomy Gus / Eeyore / pick your analogy, but a reminder that #IM1 #Odysseus is a demonstration mission. The private sector is allowed to fail, to help us move faster overall with the goal of bringing down the cost as well as advancing the U.S. space industry.
Hopefully all goes well, but remember that failure is an option. Other companies will be attempting their own landings in the future.
LIDAR is an acronym for Light Detection and Ranging.
Here's a February 5 NASA article about the Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL). Expect the commentators to refer to NDL in the webcast.
Anyone who's seen the "Apollo 13" movie knows that the crew used the lunar module as a lifeboat. The LM's descent engine became the primary engine for burns to return to Earth.
#IM1 #Odysseus is about to use NASA's NDR backup landing navigation test system to replace the lander's non-functioning navigation system.
Steely eyed missile people!
#Space #NASA #Moon #Odysseus #IM1
From #CNN: NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says the descent burn is targeting 6:00 PM EST, with a landing targeting 6:24 PM EST. If they have to wave off, the next try would be at about 8:30 PM EST. "But that would be the last chance that they would have to land."
(Unclear to me if he means the last chance tonight, or the last chance period.)
https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/nasa-odysseus-moon-landing-intuitive-machines-scn/index.html
#Space #NASA #Moon #IM1 #Odysseus #NOVAC
From #CNN: "CNN is standing by for additional updates on the spacecraft's status."
We still have a lot to learn. Is it fully upright? Is it in a crater? Is it leaning into a crater? Did a landing strut collapse? Etc., etc., etc.
But as I advised upstream, this was a demonstration flight. They proved they could do it.
#Space #NASA #Moon #IM1 #Odysseus #NOVAC
From Intuitive Machines on Zombie Twitter:
*****
Lunar Surface Day One Update (23FEB2024 0818 CST)
Odysseus is alive and well. Flight controllers are communicating and commanding the vehicle to download science data. The lander has good telemetry and solar charging.
We continue to learn more about the vehicle’s specific information (Lat/Lon), overall health, and attitude (orientation). (1/2)
I suppose the other, less desirable possibility is a "spacecraft outage."
@WordsmithFL
Tumbled?
Any optical options for the projected landing site?
@pendrag NASA has the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in orbit that could photograph the orbiter one day, to determine what happened.
@WordsmithFL Just when it was getting interesting!
💙
Thanks for sharing this. We would have totally missed it. 😁🚀
@KazzyH Thank you. I'm rendering the webcast now and will upload it later this evening.
#Space #NASA #Moon #IM1 #Odysseus #NOVAC
Keep in mind that the lander is landing at the south pole of the Moon. This isn't as easy a transmission site as the Apollo era, when they were all around the equator facing towards Earth.