SpaceX stands down from Intuitive Machines moon lander launch

SpaceX has postponed the launch of the Intuitive Machines IM-1 moon lander due to an issue with the lander's fuel temperature.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander integrated. (SpaceX via X.com)

SpaceX on Wednesday announced that it is postponing the launch of a moon lander built by private space technology firm Intuitive Machines due to an issue with the temperature of liquid methane fuel.

The Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission was set to launch Wednesday but is now set to take off at 11.35 AM IST on Thursday, February 15. It will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Ahead of the IM-1 mission liftoff, Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus shared heartfelt words with the team, reflecting on the significance of their collective effort.#AdLunam pic.twitter.com/WbgFBzFaaE

— Intuitive Machines (@Int_Machines) February 13, 2024

IM-1 is the company’s first attempt at a lunar landing and is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services. If it manages to soft-land on the lunar surface, it will be the first successful privately-led moon landing mission in history. Israel’s Beresheet, Japan’s Hakuto and the American Peregrine landers all failed to do that in 2019, 2023 and 2024.

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The IM-1 mission carries Odysseus, the company’s Nova-C class lunar lander that will separate from the Falcon 9 rocket after launch to get on a trajectory to the Moon. The lander’s propulsion system is powered by a mixture of liquid methane and liquid oxygen. SpaceX found issues with the temperature of the liquid methane while it was being loaded on the spacecraft, said NASA in a statement.

The IM-1 landing sequence lasts approximately two minutes. Within that time, every heartbeat within our team resonates with the weight of anticipation as we strive to fulfill the lunar aspirations of an entire country. For more information and mission updates, visit our IM-1… pic.twitter.com/WHMoYNw2EV

— Intuitive Machines (@Int_Machines) February 11, 2024

Intuitive Machines and its customers expect to operate the lander’s payloads for around seven days before it becomes lunar night near the landing site, at which point Odysseus will be inoperable. This also means that there is a short launch window for the mission

After touchdown, Intuitive Machines and its customers expect to operate payloads on the lunar surface for roughly seven days before the lunar night sets on the south pole of the Moon, rendering Odysseus inoperable.

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