Texas-based Intuitive Machines' first lunar mission began early Thursday, setting the stage for the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years. From the report: Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander lifted off from Florida on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to begin the IM-1 mission. “This is a very humbling moment for all of us at Intuitive Machines. The opportunity to return the United States to the moon for the first time since 1972 is a feat of engineering that requires a hunger for exploration.”・The vice president of Machines Space said: Trent Martin said at a press conference.
The IM-1 lander, named Odysseus after the Greek mythological hero, carries 12 government and commercial payloads, six of which are for NASA under a $118 million contract. be. Before the launch, NASA leaders emphasized that IM-1 is an Intuitive Machines mission, not a NASA mission. However, this will be the second mission under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. CLPS supports the agency's Artemis crew program, which aims to regularly deliver science projects and cargo to the moon. Joel Kearns, deputy assistant administrator for exploration in NASA's Science Mission Directorate, told reporters before the launch that NASA views the CLPS mission as a “learning experience.”
