IM-1
IM-1 (Odysseus) in preparation for launch | |
| Names | TO2-IM CLPS-2 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Lunar landing |
| Operator | Intuitive Machines |
| COSPAR ID | 2024-030A |
| SATCAT no. | 58963 |
| Mission duration | 14 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Odysseus |
| Spacecraft type | Nova-C |
| Manufacturer | Intuitive Machines |
| Launch mass | 1,900 kg (4,200 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | February 15, 2024, 06:05:37 UTC (1:05:37 am EST) |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 (B1060‑18), Flight 299 |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39A |
| End of mission | |
| Declared | March 23, 2024 |
| Last contact | February 29, 2024 |
| Lunar lander | |
| Landing date | February 22, 2024, 23:23:53 UTC |
| Landing site | Malapert A (80°08′S 1°26′E / 80.13°S 1.44°E) |
IM-1 mission insignia Motto: ADTIGO PLANITIA LUNAE (I touch the plains of the Moon) | |
IM-1 was a robotic Moon landing mission conducted by Intuitive Machines (IM) in February 2024 using a Nova-C lunar lander. After contact with the lunar surface on February 22 the lander tipped to an unplanned 30 degree angle. All instrument payloads remained functional and the mission was deemed a success. IM-1 was the first commercial mission to successfully soft-land on the Moon. NASA provided funding support for the mission through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The lander, named Odysseus, carried six NASA-developed payloads and several others from commercial and educational customers. On February 29, Odysseus lost power and shut down with the start of the lunar night.
IM-1 was the first soft lunar landing by a private company and Odysseus was the first American-made spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. Steve Altemus, CEO of IM, says Nova-C is the first spacecraft to use liquid methane and liquid oxygen (methalox) propulsion beyond low-Earth orbit, and also the first methalox spacecraft to land on an off-world celestial body.