Intuitive Machines Nova-C

This article is about a class of lunar landers. For a series of NASA rocket designs, see Nova (rocket).

Nova-C lunar lander
Odysseus in preparation for launch
ManufacturerIntuitive Machines
DesignerIntuitive Machines
Country of originUnited States
OperatorIntuitive Machines
ApplicationsLunar payload delivery and support
Specifications
Spacecraft typeLunar lander
BusNova-C bus
Launch mass1,900 kg (4,200 lb)[1]
Payload capacity100 kg (220 lb)[2]
Power200 W (0.27 hp)[2]
Design life14 days after landing
Dimensions
Length3 m (9.8 ft) [3]
Diameter2 m (6 ft 7 in) [3]
Production
StatusIn production
On order4
Built2
Launched1
Retired1
Maiden launch01:05 a.m. EST, 15 February 2024[4]
Related spacecraft
Derived fromProject Morpheus[2]
Additional flight information
Launch vehicle Falcon 9 Block 5
Avg. cost per spacecraft $118 million US[5]
Proximate missions
Last mission IM-1
Last mission launch date 15 February 2024[6]
Next mission IM-2
Next mission launch date January 2025 (or after)[7]

The Intuitive Machines Nova-C, or simply Nova-C, is a class of lunar landers designed by Intuitive Machines (IM) to deliver small payloads to the surface of the Moon. Intuitive Machines was one of three service providers awarded task orders in 2019 for delivery of NASA science payloads to the Moon.[8] The IM-1 lunar lander, named Odysseus (pronounced /əˈdɪsiəs/ ə-DISS-ee-əs), was launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9[6] rocket on 15 February 2024, reached lunar orbit on 21 February, and landed on the lunar surface on 22 February. This marked the inaugural Nova-C landing on the Moon and the first American spacecraft to perform a soft landing on the Moon in over 50 years.[9][10] It is the first spacecraft to use methalox propulsion to navigate between the Earth and the Moon.

The second Nova-C lander with the IM-2 mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than January 2025,[7] and a third Nova-C lander on the IM-3 mission is scheduled for no earlier than October 2025.[11] SpaceX is under contract to provide Falcon 9 launches for each of the three landers.[12][13][14][15]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ars-2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Nova-C Lunar Lander Archived 1 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine Intuitive Machines Accessed on 28 May 2019
  3. ^ a b Houston company among 9 tapped to build moon landers Archived 2018-12-01 at the Wayback Machine Alex Stuckey, The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  4. ^ Status of Nova C (IM-1) Launch Time Archived 19 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine Next Spaceflight. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference contract_modifications was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Machines, Intuitive (15 February 2024). "IM-1 Mission Nova-C Lunar Lander Successfully Enroute to the Moon Following its launch on SpaceX's Falcon 9". Intuitive Machines. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  7. ^ a b David, Leonard (12 September 2024). "Ice-hunting Lunar Trailblazer and IM-2 nearly ready for January 2025 launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Houston-based Intuitive Machines to be among first private U.S. companies to land on the moon". Houston Chronicle. 5 June 2019. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  9. ^ Chang, Kenneth (22 February 2024). "A U.S.-Built Spacecraft Lands on the Moon for the First Time Since 1972". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Odysseus becomes first US spacecraft to land on moon in over 50 years". CNN. 22 February 2024. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference sn-20240813 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Intuitive Machines' first lunar lander mission slips to 2022". SpaceNews. 28 April 2021. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference im-20210810 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ "One Giant Leap". Columbia. 19 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  15. ^ Etherington, Darrell (13 April 2020). "Intuitive Machines picks a launch date and landing site for 2021 Moon cargo delivery mission". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2021.