SpaceX Launches Odysseus Moon Lander With NASA Payloads As Part Of Intuitive Machines 1 Mission. WATCH

Odysseus, also known as NOVA-C, carries five NASA payloads, and commercial cargo. The aim of the mission, is to place Odysseus at crater Malapert A near the lunar south pole.

Intuitive Machines 1 Mission: SpaceX launched Odysseus, a Moon lander built by Texas-based aerospace firm Intuitive Machines, on February 15, 2024, atop a Falcon 9 rocket, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lift-off took place at 11:35 am IST. ( Image Source :Intuitive Machines )

Intuitive Machines 1 Mission: SpaceX launched Odysseus, a Moon lander built by Texas-based aerospace firm Intuitive Machines, on February 15, 2024, atop a Falcon 9 rocket, from Launch Complex 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lift-off took place at 11:35 am IST. Odysseus, also known as NOVA-C, carries five NASA payloads, and commercial cargo. The aim of the mission, called Intuitive Machines 1 mission, is to place Odysseus at crater Malapert A near the lunar south pole.

NASA selected Intuitive Machines to build a lander as part of the space agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services Initiative (CLPS), in which a commercial firm receives a contract. 

Liftoff of IM-1! pic.twitter.com/Knl3Y1sGo2

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 15, 2024

A video shared on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of SpaceX shows that the Falcon 9 rocket has deployed the Odysseus lander into space. 

This was the 18th flight of the first stage booster of the Falcon 9 rocket. 

Deployment of @Int_Machines IM-1 confirmed pic.twitter.com/daPrWFkVng

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 15, 2024

More about Intuitive Machines 1 Mission

The payloads will study interactions between the lunar surface and plumes, which are clouds of gas. They will also perform radio astronomy experiments, and study how the lunar surface interacts with the space weather. 

Odysseus will also demonstrate precision landing technologies, and exhibit communication and navigation mode capabilities. 

First, Odysseus will be placed into an Earth orbit of size 185 kilometres x 60,000 kilometres. After this, translunar injection will occur. Following this, a manoeuvre will place Odysseus into a 100-kilometre lunar orbit. 

Odysseus is expected to land at Malapert A crater on February 22. It will have a mission life of 14 Earth days, in the presence of sunlight. 

Odysseus has a length of four metres, a width of 1.57 metres, and a lift-off mass of 1,908 kilograms. With six standing legs, Odysseus is capable of carrying up to 100 kilograms of payload to the lunar surface. 

The lander is equipped with solar panels which will allow it to generate 200 Watts of power on the lunar surface. 

The main engine, placed at the bottom of Odysseus, requires a force of 3,100 Newtons to fire up before landing on the Moon. It uses liquid methane as fuel, and liquid oxygen as oxidiser.