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Intuitive Machines Wraps Up IM-2 Lunar Mission Early

Following its arrival at a lunar crater as part of the IM-2 mission on the Moon, Intuitive Machines successfully gathered initial data for NASA before concluding the mission prematurely at 12:15 a.m. CST on Friday.

This endeavor marks Intuitive Machines’ second lunar delivery for NASA under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, aligned with the agency’s Artemis program. The IM-2 mission aimed to deploy a drill capable of excavating lunar soil and a mass spectrometer to detect volatiles, which could potentially be converted into fuel or breathable oxygen for future missions.

The mission, initially intended to land at Mons Mouton, actually touched down around 11:30 a.m. on March 6, approximately 1,300 feet (400 meters) away from its targeted area. Reports indicate that the lander ended up on its side, inhibiting its ability to operate the drill and other scientific instruments before the power supply was exhausted.

Interestingly, the IM-2 mission made history by landing closer to the lunar South Pole than any previous missions.

“Our targeted landing site near the lunar South Pole is one of the most scientifically compelling and geographically challenging areas of the Moon,” stated Nicky Fox, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Every success and every challenge serves as an opportunity to learn and improve. These experiences will help us advance science, exploration, and commercial development as we prepare for future human exploration of Mars.”

The Nova-C lander, named Athena, sent back images of its landing site prior to activating its scientific instruments. Notably, NASA’s PRIME-1 (Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment 1) suite—which includes the TRIDENT drill—successfully demonstrated its functionalities in the Moon’s harsh environment. Additionally, the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO), part of the PRIME-1 suite, identified elements likely stemming from gases released during the lander’s propulsion systems.

“Although this mission did not fulfill all of its goals for NASA, the insights gained from the payload development are already influencing other agency and commercial projects,” remarked Clayton Turner, associate administrator for space technology at NASA Headquarters. “As we work on developing new technologies for Moon and Mars exploration, testing these technologies in situ is vital for guiding future missions. The CLPS initiative remains a key strategy for achieving these milestones.”

Despite the lander’s challenging position, Intuitive Machines managed to carry out some instrument checkouts and gather 250 megabytes of data for NASA.

“Supporting American companies in delivering scientific and technological innovations to the Moon for NASA not only yields scientific results but also fosters the growth of a lunar economy,” explained Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for Exploration in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “While the IM-2 mission outcome is disappointing, we remain committed to backing our commercial partners as they confront the complexities of landing and operating on the Moon.”

NASA’s Laser Retroreflector Array, a passive tool designed to provide a reference point on the lunar surface, will stay attached to the lander’s top deck. Although technologies such as Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Hopper and Nokia’s 4G/LTE Tipping Point faced operational challenges, they still offered valuable insights into the maturation of technologies suited for commercial space applications.

Intuitive Machines launched its IM-2 mission at 6:16 p.m. on February 26, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Looking ahead, Intuitive Machines has additional lunar delivery missions planned for NASA, with IM-3 scheduled for 2026 and IM-4 in 2027.

In total, five vendors have secured contracts for 11 lunar deliveries through the CLPS initiative, which aims to deploy over 50 scientific instruments across various lunar regions, including the Moon’s far side and the South Pole. The CLPS contracts, structured as indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity agreements, have a cumulative maximum contract value reaching $2.6 billion through 2028.

For further information on NASA’s CLPS initiative, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/clps

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Source
www.nasa.gov