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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

launched on February 15, 2024 at 1:05 AM EST from Launch Complex 39A, atop a .

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.

youtube.com/live/CvdgoX-3WOM?s

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

An ancestor of the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program is NextSTEP, which began in 2014 during the 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.

nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nexts

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Not to be a Debbie Downer / Gloomy Gus / Eeyore / pick your analogy, but a reminder that 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.

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

BREAKING reports there's a problem with the navigation systems, so the lunar lander will use the sensors on NASA's Navigation Doppler LIDAR mounted on the lander.

Public-Private Partnership at its best!

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

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.

nasa.gov/centers-and-facilitie

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

This 90-second NASA video about NDL was uploaded to YouTube on February 5. This is the system will use to attempt lunar landing, targeting 6:24 PM EST.

The NASA webcast just said the the default navigation system "is not working."

youtube.com/watch?v=xjx3XhHouK

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

The NASA webcast is playing that above video right now!

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

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.

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!

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

From : 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.)

cnn.com/us/live-news/nasa-odys

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Five minutes until the landing burn. Last chance to go pee. 😉

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Fun fact ... space reporter Kristin Fisher is the daughter of former NASA astronaut Anna Fisher, the first "mother in space."

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

The landing burn has begun. As the webcast is reporting, is an "autonomous lunar lander."

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

On the telecast, former NASA Mae Jemison astronaut is providing commentary along with William Shatner, who spends a lot more time behind the scenes with NASA people than you might suspect. 😉

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Intuitive Machines reports all is nominal with . Less than six minutes until targeted landing time.

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

T-3 minutes until targeted landing time.

youtube.com/watch?v=Dg2ffigGcY

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

"C'mon, rookie, park that thing."

-- From "Apollo 13"

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Telemetry shows that is searching for a landing site. Altitude is 1,000 meters.

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

"Less than one minute remaining until touchdown."

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Waiting for landing confirmation ...

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Checking for antenna reception ...

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Trying to "determine if this is a comm outage."

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

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.

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

It's possible they landed "off angle." Data show a slight roll just before landing.

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

"We have a return signal that we're tracking."

"We do have signal that we're tracking."

There's a backup signal that's supposed to kick in after 15 minutes, to switch antenna pairs.

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Space

"We're picking up a signal from our high gain antenna. It's faint, but it's there."

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Space

This is a personal hobby horse of mine. We need to put a like constellation in orbit around the Moon so problems like this won't exist any more.

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Space

"We can confirm, without a doubt, that our equipment is on the Moon, and we are transmitting."

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Space

"We are on the Moon. We are transmitting. Welcome to the Moon."

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Space

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Space

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

NASA and Intuitive Machines have ended their webcast.

The world has changed. Humanity did something good today. 😘

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

From : "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.

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

tonight on the first commercial lunar landing, with commentary by Miles O'Brien (the journalist, not the Starfleet guy).

youtube.com/watch?v=gKYmPpVsmf

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

BREAKING From Intuitive Machines on Zombie Twitter:

"After troubleshooting communications, flight controllers have confirmed Odysseus is upright and starting to send data.
Right now, we are working to downlink the first images from the lunar surface."

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Calling it a night ... If you want to watch the NASA Intuitive Machines coverage of tonight's historic launch, here's the link:

youtube.com/watch?v=eWyUg7hfx7

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

We're back, baby!

Awaiting the release of any images from the surface.

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

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)

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦
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Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus will participate in a press conference later today to discuss this historic moment. Press conference information will be coordinated with NASA and published shortly. (2/2)

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

The press conference is scheduled for 5 PM EST.

nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-int

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Here's the video of today's lunar lander press conference.

youtube.com/watch?v=ZWEwR8fscF

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Today's NASA press release on the lunar landing.

nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-tec

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

From President on Zombie Twitter:

*****

For the first time in over 50 years, an American spacecraft landed on the Moon – made possible by American ingenuity, innovation, and curiosity.

Congratulations to the teams at NASA and Intuitive Machines on this thrilling step forward.

We're leading the world back to the Moon.

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

During last week's Intuitive Machines landing melodrama, I mentioned that NASA could use its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to confirm IM-1's landing and orientation. The LRO office released those pictures today.

nasa.gov/missions/lro/nasas-lr

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Stephen Smith 🇺🇦  

Intuitive Machines has released its first photos of the lunar surface as taken by IM-1.

7c27f7d6-4a0b-4269-aee9-80e85c

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