Tag: Johnson Space Center

NASA Science Aboard Intuitive Machines Continues Journey to Moon

A view of Earth and one of Odysseus’ fuel pressurant tanks aboard the IM-1 mission. Intuitive Machines is a commercial company that has been contracted by NASA to send its science and technology instruments to the Moon. Colombia Sportswear is a commercial payload contracted with Intuitive Machines.
A view of Earth and one of Odysseus’ fuel pressurant tanks aboard the IM-1 mission. Intuitive Machines is a commercial company that has been contracted by NASA to send its science and technology instruments to the Moon. Columbia Sportswear is a commercial payload contracted with Intuitive Machines. Credit: Intuitive Machines

After a successful launch on Feb. 15, six NASA science instruments and technology demonstrations continue their journey to the Moon aboard Intuitive Machines’ lander named Odysseus. The company confirmed communications contact with its mission operations control in Houston, and its lander continues to perform as expected.

Known as IM-1, Intuitive Machines successfully transmitted its first images back to Earth on Feb. 16. These were captured shortly after separation from SpaceX’s second stage, on Intuitive Machines’ first journey to the Moon as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and Artemis campaign.

Within an hour of launching, NASA confirmed data was streaming from the agency’s powered science and technology instruments aboard the flight. This means data from these instruments was automatically streaming back to the teams so NASA could monitor the health and status of its instruments.

Later, Intuitive Machines successfully commissioned Odysseus’ engine which means they exercised the engine’s complete flight profile, including the throttling required for landing. The engine, which uses liquid methane and liquid oxygen, is the first of its kind fired in space.

One of the NASA instruments, the Radio Frequency Mass Gauge is gauging the cryogenic propellants on Odysseus throughout the mission. Data files have been collected and many have been downloaded for analysis. Throughout the propellant loading phase that took place before launch, the instrument collected data, which was downloaded and analyzed in near-real time. Data also is being collected during the microgravity transit phase of the mission. This analysis will continue through landing on the Moon.

Another NASA instrument, Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator, integrates navigation and communication functionality. This science instrument will operate for the first time today and daily during the cruise phase as the landing date draws closer. The radio beacon is designed to support precise geolocation and navigation observations to orbiters, landers, and surface personnel, digitally confirming their positions on the Moon relative to other craft, ground stations, or rovers on the move. The check-out helps prepare to land on the Moon as the navigation demonstrator aims to gather this data throughout the duration of the surface operations phase of the mission. Over the next day, flight controllers will analyze the data from this procedure to inform preparations for landing on Thursday, Feb. 22.

Follow along with Intuitive Machines for the latest operational updates on their mission.

A view of Earth captured by a 186-degree wide field of view camera aboard Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lunar. The start of this image sequence occurred 100 seconds after separation and lasts for two hours. Credit: Intuitive Machines
A view of Earth captured by a 186-degree wide field of view camera aboard Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lunar. The start of this image sequence occurred 100 seconds after separation and lasts for two hours. Credit: Intuitive Machines

Tune in to This Week’s Prelaunch Events for First Robotic Artemis Moon Flight 

Ahead of launch as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander is preparing to be encapsulated in the payload fairing, or nose cone, of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket on Nov. 21, 2023, at Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Ahead of launch as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander is preparing to be encapsulated in the payload fairing, or nose cone, of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket on Nov. 21, 2023, at Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One will carry NASA and commercial payloads to the Moon in early 2024 to study the lunar exosphere, thermal properties, and hydrogen abundance of the lunar regolith, magnetic fields, and the radiation environment of the lunar surface. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance

Beginning at 11 a.m. EST today, tune in to NASA TV or the agency’s website for NASA’s lunar science media teleconference, which will highlight the NASA payloads flying on Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander to the Moon as part of the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis program. 

Participants include: 

  • Chris Culbert, Program Manager, NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services 
  • Niki Werkheiser, director, Technology Maturation, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters 
  • Paul Niles, CLPS project scientist, NASA’s Johnson Space Center 
  • Nic Stoffle, science and operations lead for Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer, NASA Johnson 
  • Tony Colaprete, principal investigator, Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System, NASA’s Ames Research Center 
  • Richard Elphic, principal investigator, Neutron Spectrometer System, NASA’s Ames Research Center 
  • Barbara Cohen, principal investigator, Peregrine Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 
  • Daniel Cremons, deputy principal investigator for Laser Retroreflector Array, NASA Goddard

Then at 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5, there will be a lunar delivery readiness media teleconference to confirm all payloads are go for launch.  

Participants include:  

  • Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for Exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters 
  • Ryan Watkins, program scientist, Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office, NASA Headquarters 
  • John Thornton, CEO, Astrobotic 
  • Gary Wentz, vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA 
  • Melody Lovin, launch weather officer, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron 

United Launch Alliance is scheduled to launch its Vulcan rocket and Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander at 2:18 a.m. EST Jan. 8 from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. 

Peregrine is targeting landing on the Moon on Feb. 23, 2024. The NASA payloads aboard the lander aim to help the agency develop capabilities needed to explore the Moon under Artemis and in advance of human missions on the lunar surface. Peregrine will land on a mare – an ancient hardened lava flow – outside of the Gruithuisen Domes, a geologic enigma along the mare/highlands boundary on the northeast border of Oceanus Procellarum, or Ocean of Storms, the largest dark spot on the Moon. The payloads will investigate the lunar exosphere, thermal properties of the lunar regolith, hydrogen abundances in the soil at the landing site, magnetic fields, and conduct radiation environment monitoring.   

To learn more about some of the scientific research and technology demonstrations flying to the Moon as part of the CLPS initiative visit https://www.nasa.gov/clps