NEW DELHI: Odysseus, the non-public spacecraft introduced via Houston-based corporate Intuitive Machines atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 15, has beamed its first footage from the general frontier.
“Intuitive Machines effectively transmitted its first IM-1 undertaking pictures to Earth on February 16, 2024. The pictures have been captured in a while after separation from @SpaceX’s 2d level on Intuitive Machines’ first adventure to the moon beneath @NASA’s CLPS initiative,” the aerospace corporate stated on X.
Odysseus, sometimes called the Nova-C lander, is sporting six experiments and era demonstrations from NASA, in addition to six personal payloads, on its ongoing IM-1 undertaking. Those tools will gather precious knowledge for NASA’s Artemis program, which objectives to ascertain a crewed base close to the lunar south pole via 2030.
Odysseus makes use of a mix of liquid methane and liquid oxygen, the similar propellants utilized by SpaceX’s Raptor engines. Those engines energy the corporate’s Starship rocket, which is being evolved for long term missions to the moon and Mars.
Whilst Odysseus is progressing neatly in opposition to its vacation spot, it isn’t the primary CLPS effort to be introduced. Astrobotic, a Pittsburgh-based corporate, introduced their moon lander, Peregrine, on a United Release Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket.
Despite the fact that the release itself was once a hit, Peregrine encountered a gas leak in a while after isolating from the rocket’s higher level, combating it from achieving the moon. The spacecraft was once therefore destroyed within the Earth’s setting on January 18.
, Odysseus is these days in best possible situation and keeping up verbal exchange with undertaking regulate because it approaches its vacation spot. Intuitive Machines has scheduled the landing strive for February 22.
Make bigger”Intuitive Machines flight controllers effectively fired the primary liquid methane and liquid oxygen engine in house, finishing the IM-1 undertaking engine commissioning. This engine firing incorporated a complete thrust mainstage engine burn and throttle down-profile important to land at the moon,” the corporate stated in an X publish
(with enter from company)
