As previously announced on February 29th, our IM-1 mission ended seven days after landing, as Odysseus’ mission was not intended to survive the harsh temperatures of the lunar night. Before its batteries were depleted, flight controllers tucked Odie into a configuration that could call home if various systems outperformed manufacturer expectations. ​ Intuitive Machines started listening for Odie’s wake-up signal on March 20, when we projected enough sunlight would potentially charge the lander's power system and turn on its radio. ​ As of March 23rd at 1030 A.M. Central Standard Time, flight controllers decided their projections were correct, and Odie’s power system would not complete another call home. This confirms that Odie has permanently faded after cementing its legacy into history as the first commercial lunar lander to land on the Moon.

HOUSTON, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intuitive Machines, Inc. (Nasdaq: LUNR, LUNRW) (“Intuitive Machines”) (“Company”), a leading space exploration, infrastructure, and services company, today announced the completion of science and data transmission for all NASA and commercial payloads onboard Odysseus, the Nova-C class lunar lander, after the successful February 22 soft landing on the south pole region of the Moon. ​ Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said, “Spaceflight’s unique challenges are conquered on Earth but mastered in space. Our now proven robust lunar program, a national asset, feeds directly into our second and third missions. This success drives our relentless pursuit of performance excellence to benefit the entire industry.”

Before its power was depleted, Odysseus completed a fitting farewell transmission. Received today, this image from February 22nd showcases the lunar vista with the crescent Earth in the backdrop, a subtle reminder of humanity’s presence in the universe. Goodnight, Odie. We hope to hear from you again.

Still kicking. Odysseus continues to operate on the lunar surface. At approximately 11:00 am CST, flight controllers intend to downlink additional data, and command Odie into a configuration that he may phone home if and when he wakes up when the sun rises again.

The IM-1 Mission successfully landed the first spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole region, marking the United States’ first return since Apollo 17 and the first commercial lunar lander to transmit valuable science data of each NASA payload from the lunar surface. In addition, the operation of the Company’s liquid methane and liquid oxygen propulsion system in deep space is flight-proven through successful mission operations. Intuitive Machines achieved these marquee accomplishments in the company’s first attempt to land on the Moon. The photos included provide some of the first photos of Odyssesus landing on the Moon.

Odysseus continues to generate solar power on the Moon, allowing flight controllers to continue gathering data from the south pole region in furtherance of the IM-1 Mission objectives. Flight controllers are analyzing new solar charging data and using the additional time to maximize tasks that further future exploration. Intuitive Machines will participate in a news conference with NASA at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on February 28, 2024, at 2:00 pm ET to discuss the Company’s historic lunar mission.

Intuitive Machines will participate in a news conference with NASA at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on February 28, 2024 at 2:00 pm ET to discuss the Company’s historic lunar mission. The IM-1 Mission to the Moon is the Company’s first of three missions with NASA carrying six of the agency’s science instruments to the South Pole region of the Moon as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, and Artemis campaign. The news conference will air on NASA+, and NASA Television Participants in the news conference include: Steve Altemus, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Intuitive Machines Tim Crain, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder, Intuitive Machines Joel Kearns, Deputy Associate Administrator, Exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington Sue Lederer, CLPS project scientist, NASA Johnson

Flight Controllers continue to communicate with Odysseus. This morning, Odysseus efficiently sent payload science data and imagery in furtherance of the Company’s mission objectives. Flight controllers are working on final determination of battery life on the lander, which may continue up to an additional 10-20 hours. The images included here are the closest observations of any spaceflight mission to the south pole region of the Moon. Odysseus is quite the photographer, capturing this image approximately 30 meters above the lunar surface while his main engine throttled down more than 24,000 mph. Another day of exploration on the south pole region of the Moon.

Odysseus continues to communicate with flight controllers in Nova Control from the lunar surface. After understanding the end-to-end communication requirements, Odysseus sent images from the lunar surface of its vertical descent to its Malapert A landing site, representing the furthest south any vehicle has been able to land on the Moon and establish communication with ground controllers.

On Thursday night, for the first time in over 50 years, an American spacecraft landed on the Moon – a thrilling step forward in a new era of space exploration. The robotic lunar lander, named Odysseus, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on February 15. On Thursday, it sent images from the Moon as it circled in low orbit, before touching down near the South Pole.

Odysseus is alive and well. Flight controllers are communicating and commanding the vehicle to download science data. The lander has good telemetry and solar charging. We continue to learn more about the vehicle’s specific information (Lat/Lon), overall health, and attitude (orientation). Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus will participate in a press conference later today to discuss this historic moment. Press conference information will be coordinated with NASA and published shortly.

Flight controllers chose to exercise an additional orbit before starting the IM-1 Mission landing sequence. The new anticipated landing time is 1724 CST. We expect the landing stream to start on the IM-1 web page and NASA TV at 1600 CST. The content on both streams is identical.

Flight controllers commanded a lunar correction maneuver to raise Odysseus' orbit overnight and updated the anticipated landing time to 1524 CST. We expect the landing stream to start on this IM-1 web page and NASA TV at 1400 CST. The content on both streams is identical.

Odysseus’ Terrain Relative Navigation camera captured this image of the Bel’kovich K crater in the Moon’s northern equatorial highlands. It is an approximate 50 km diameter crater with mountains in the center, made when the crater was formed.

Flight controllers analyzed the post-Lunar Orbit Insertion engine burn data and updated the anticipated flight maneuver timing, including an expected 1630 CST landing opportunity. The landing opportunity will be Odysseus’ hardest challenge yet. The lander continues to be in excellent health, orbiting approximately 92 km above the lunar surface.

Odysseus passes over the near side of the Moon following lunar orbit insertion on February 21st. The lander continues to be in excellent health in lunar orbit.

Odysseus completed its scheduled 408-second main engine lunar orbit insertion burn and is currently in a 92 km circular lunar orbit. Initial data indicates the 800 m/s burn was completed within 2 m/s accuracy. After traveling over 1,000,000 km, Odysseus is now closer to the Moon than the end-to-end distance driving across Space City, Houston, TX. Over the next day, while the lander remains in lunar orbit, flight controllers will analyze the complete flight data and transmit imagery of the Moon. Odysseus continues to be in excellent health. We expect to continue to provide mission updates at least once a day on X and the IM-1 Mission web page, where we intend to host a live stream for landing coverage.

Intuitive Machines flight controllers commanded the IM-1 mission’s second planned Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM) with enough precision to eliminate the need for the initially planned third TCM engine firing. Today’s TCM fired at 1400 CST for 8 seconds, and it is the final maneuver before Odysseus’ largest challenge to date, Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI), scheduled for February 21, 2024. Odysseus continues to be in excellent health and is approximately 68,000 km from the Moon. Over the next several hours, flight controllers will continue to analyze the flight data ahead of LOI. We expect to continue to provide mission updates at least once a day on X and the IM-1 Mission web page, where we intend to host a live stream for landing coverage.

The IM-1 mission to land on the Moon has triumphed over numerous challenges, showcasing exceptional resilience, innovation, and teamwork. Intuitive Machines expects to land on the Moon at 1649 CST on Thursday, February 22nd.

Flight controllers received and analyzed data from the February 16th engine Commissioning Maneuver (CM). Data from the 21-second full-thrust mainstage engine CM confirmed Odysseus hit its 21 m/s target with approximately 0.8 m/s accuracy. The GIF below was created from images taken while the lander maneuvered to CM burn attitude. Propulsion mixture ratios, mass flow rate, and temperature were as predicted. Overall, Intuitive Machines characterizes the execution of the CM as nominal and per expectations.

Odysseus continues to be in excellent health, and flight controllers are preparing planned trajectory correction maneuvers to prepare the lander for lunar orbit insertion. Since the IM-1 Mission launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, flight controllers on the Company’s red, white, and blue teams have been learning more about the lander and how to efficiently fly the mission to return the United States to the surface of the Moon.

Intuitive Machines successfully transmitted its first IM-1 mission images to Earth on February 16, 2024. The images were captured shortly after separation from SpaceX’s second stage on Intuitive Machines’ first journey to the Moon under NASA’s CLPS initiative.

Intuitive Machines flight controllers successfully fired the first liquid methane and liquid oxygen engine in space, completing the IM-1 mission engine commissioning. This engine firing included a full thrust mainstage engine burn and throttle down-profile necessary to land on the Moon. Over the next eight hours, flight controllers will analyze the engine burn data collected from over 270,000 km away from Earth. This represents another first for Intuitive Machines, demonstrating one of the critical technologies required to land softly on the surface of the Moon. The IM-1 mission Nova-C class lunar lander continues to be in excellent health, in a stable orientation and remains on schedule for a lunar landing opportunity on the afternoon of February 22.

The IM-1 mission Nova-C class lunar lander continues to be in excellent health, in a stable orientation and remains on schedule for a lunar landing opportunity on the afternoon of February 22. The original mission structure allocated a Commission Maneuver (CM) and three trajectory correction maneuvers to position for Lunar Orbit Insertion. This approach provided flexibility in the mission’s engine burn schedule to allow for learning as we operate the lander in the vacuum of space. Adjusting for this learning process is why the team chose to delay the burn on February 15.

The IM-1 mission Nova-C class lunar lander continues to be in excellent health, and we are preparing for our engine commissioning maneuver. Photo credit: SpaceX

The IM-1 mission Nova-C class lunar lander has launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and successfully commissioned in space by establishing a stable attitude, solar charging, and radio communications contact with the Company’s mission operations center in Houston. Photo credit: SpaceX

SpaceX announced: "Standing down from tonight’s attempt due to off-nominal methane temperatures prior to stepping into methane load. Now targeting Thursday, February 15 at 1:05 a.m. ET for Falcon 9's launch of the @Int_Machines IM-1 mission from Florida." Photo credit: SpaceX

SpaceX announced: "Standing down from tonight’s attempt due to off-nominal methane temperatures prior to stepping into methane load. Now targeting Thursday, February 15 at 1:05 a.m. ET for Falcon 9's launch of the @Int_Machines IM-1 mission from Florida." Photo credit: SpaceX

The IM-1 mission Nova-C class lunar lander completed all integration milestones and is safely encapsulated within SpaceX’s payload fairing in preparation for launch. In coordination with SpaceX, launch of the Company’s IM-1 mission is targeted for a multi-day launch window that opens no earlier than 12:57 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on February 14th from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: SpaceX