SpaceX to launch Falcon 9 carrying IM-1 lunar lander
SpaceX to launch Falcon 9 carrying lunar lander
The first U.S. moon landing attempt in more than 50 years appeared to be doomed after a private company’s spacecraft developed a "critical" fuel leak just hours after last month's launch. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will assist in a second attempt at a successful mission.
ORLANDO, Fla. - SpaceX was scheduled to launch the Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission on Wednesday using a Falcon 9 rocket, but it has been pushed by a day.
Before midnight, the space company announced it would be standing down due to "off-nominal methane temperatures prior to stepping into methane load." SpaceX is now targeting Thursday, February 15. The instantaneous launch window is set for 1:05 a.m. ET, from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Approximately two and a half hours before liftoff, teams will load cryogenic methane and oxygen onto the lunar lander on the pad, preceding the propellant load for the Falcon 9.
This marks the 18th flight of the first stage booster, which previously supported missions such as GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2, Intelsat G-33/G-34, Transporter-6, and 12 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage is expected to land on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
About the IM-1 Lunar Lander Mission
The IM-1 mission represents Intuitive Machines, Inc.'s initial attempt at a lunar landing as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, a crucial component of NASA's Artemis lunar exploration endeavors. The payloads containing science and technology intended for the moon's surface, as part of CLPS, aim to establish the groundwork for human missions and a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.