A company based in Houston is striving to send a robot lander to the surface of the moon as part of an effort to bring America back to its lunar exploration.
Due to unusual temperature readings, SpaceX had to postpone the scheduled launch of a Falcon 9 rocket with a commercial lunar lander on Wednesday morning. This was necessary before the probe could be loaded with liquid methane fuel.
The corporation announced that the launch crew intends to try again on Thursday at 1:05 a.m. EST to send Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander towards a landing near the southern pole of the moon. If necessary, a third launch window is also open on Friday, but if the launch does not take place by then, it will be postponed until March.
If it successfully launches this week, the Odysseus lander, also known as “Odie,” will still touch down on Feb. 22, approximately 186 miles away from the southern pole of the moon. This will be achieved with the use of a powerful 3D-printed main engine that will burn liquid oxygen and methane propellants, making it the first deep space mission to do so.
SpaceX
SpaceX made significant changes to the cooling and routing system for the cryogenic propellants in the Falcon 9’s nose fairing and the lander’s tanks during the rocket’s pre-launch preparations. Dress rehearsals were conducted last week to ensure that the system would function correctly, and although there were a few minor issues, company representatives stated that there were no major obstacles.
The IM-1 mission by Int_Machines launching from Florida can be found at https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 14, 2024
last-minute engine issue
If there is a launch, the flight will be similar to another commercial moon lander called Peregrine built by Astrobotic, a company based in Pittsburg. However, Peregrine had an issue with its engine right before its scheduled launch on January 8.propulsion system malfunction
Soon after departure, the accident prevented the achievement of the first American moon landing since the last mission of the Apollo program over half a century ago.
Intuitive Machines, based in Houston, is now aiming to receive the title of Odysseus-builder.
Trent Martin, vice president of space systems at Intuitive Machines, expressed deep humility at a press conference before the launch on Tuesday. He emphasized the significance of the company’s role in bringing the United States back to the moon after nearly 50 years and noted that this achievement required a strong drive for exploration and advanced engineering.
“We are aware of the challenges that await us,” stated Martin. “Exploring uncharted territory always comes with risks, but our willingness to take those risks and step outside our comfort zones is what drives us towards progress and innovation…so let’s go out and make history.”
Intuitive Machines
Odysseus is equipped with a total of twelve payloads, consisting of six NASA instruments and six commercial payloads. These include sculptures, a proof-of-concept cloud storage technology, an astronomical telescope, and a camera package built by students. The camera package will be released prior to the lander’s descent to capture images of its final approach.
NASA’s experiments include a device for analyzing the charged particle environment on the moon’s surface, a technology for testing navigation, and downward-facing stereo cameras that will capture images of how the lander’s engine exhaust affects the soil upon landing.
Additionally, a cutting-edge sensor will be included that utilizes radio waves to precisely measure the remaining cryogenic propellant in a weightless tank in space. This technology is anticipated to be beneficial for future missions to the moon and other deep space travels.
The Falcon 9 is expected to release the lander on a trajectory to the moon 48 minutes after liftoff. But getting into lunar orbit and down to the surface will be up to Odysseus and the Intuitive Machines flight control team in Houston.
SpaceX
A significant event is anticipated 18 hours post-launch, during which the lander’s main engine will be tested and calibrated by controllers to assess its functionality in space. Following this, up to three maneuvers will be executed to refine the lander’s trajectory towards the moon.
Odysseus will need seven to eight days to reach its intended destination. While flying behind the moon and unable to communicate with flight controllers, the lander’s primary engine will have to be fired for seven minutes without any guidance in order to place the craft into a circular orbit 62 miles above the landing site at a latitude of 80 degrees south.
On 12 journeys circling the moon, the team in charge of the flight will inspect the lander’s functions before initiating the last descent to a mostly even area close to a crater called Malapert A. In order to guarantee a secure landing, the primary engine will need to decrease the spacecraft’s speed by approximately 4,000 mph.
The descent will commence by igniting a small rocket 75 minutes prior to landing, which will lower the orbit’s lowest point to approximately 6 miles. After a one-hour coasting period, the engine will reignite to initiate the powered descent towards the surface.
As Odysseus descends at an altitude of approximately 18 miles, it will transition from a horizontal to a vertical position, descending at a speed of approximately 4 mph. When the spacecraft reaches below 100 feet, the “EagleCam” imaging system, created by students at Embry-Riddle University, will detach and attempt to capture photos of the lander’s final descent from the side.
When Odysseus reaches a height of 33 feet, the main engine will slow down to a speed of 2.2 mph, which is equivalent to the pace of walking for older individuals, as planned for the landing.
Intuitive Machines
Intuitive Machines estimates that it will take approximately 15 seconds for flight controllers to confirm the landing. Information gathered during the descent, such as images captured by the lander’s plume observation cameras and the deployed EagleCam, will be transmitted back to Earth at a later time.
Odysseus and its experiments are expected to operate for about a week before the sun sets at the landing site, cutting off solar power. The spacecraft is not designed to survive the extremely low temperatures of the two-week lunar night.
Joel Kearns, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for exploration, stated that successfully landing on the moon is a challenging feat. He noted that there have been multiple attempts in the past year, but the lack of air and inability to use parachutes make it a difficult task. Rockets must be used to slow down the descent.
Kearns mentioned that Intuitive Machines is utilizing highly original methods in their propulsion system. They have some impressive demonstrations planned, indicating that they are pioneering several new techniques.
Only the U.S., Russia, China, India and Japan have successfully put landers on the surface of the moon, and Japan’s membership in that exclusive club comes with an asterisk: its “SLIM” lander tipped over on touchdown Jan. 19 and failed to achieve all of the mission’s objectives.
In the time frame of 2019 to January of this year, three moon landers funded by private sources were launched. These included one from an Israeli non-profit, one from a Japanese company, and Astrobotic’s Peregrine. Unfortunately, all three attempts were unsuccessful.
Both Peregrine and Odysseus received partial funding from NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, also known as CLPS, which aims to incentivize private companies to create transportation capabilities that NASA can utilize for sending payloads to the moon.
The objective of the agency is to facilitate the advancement of innovative technologies and gather necessary data for Artemis astronauts.
Intending to touch down near the southern region of the moon by the end of the current decade.
The organization allocated approximately $108 million for its involvement in the Peregrine mission, and an additional $129 million for the Odysseus instruments and transportation to the moon.
According to Susan Lederer, a project scientist at the Johnson Space Center, these are not NASA missions but rather commercial missions. These companies will be transporting our instruments and providing us with power, data, and communication to facilitate our investigations.
“The presence of a commercial industry creates a competitive atmosphere, resulting in greater returns for our initial investment. This allows for approximately 10 commercial missions to the moon every decade instead of just one.”
However, the reduced expense of the CLPS mission also entails increased hazards. Takeaways from Peregrine will be utilized to enhance the design of the company’s upcoming lander, set for liftoff towards the end of this year, as well as future CLPS missions.
Lederer stated that the team will gain knowledge from failures, utilizing various technologies and conducting inexpensive and quick experiments, unlike traditional NASA missions. This approach will enable them to better prepare for the Artemis mission.
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Source: cbsnews.com