NASA and Intuitive Machines Declare IM-1 Lunar Mission a Success Despite Hard Landing
In a surprising turn of events, NASA and Intuitive Machines have deemed the IM-1 lunar mission a resounding success, despite the spacecraft’s hard landing on the moon’s surface. The Nova-C lander, named Odysseus, touched down near Malapert A crater in the moon’s south polar regions six days ago, but its askew position did not deter the mission’s achievements.
During a press conference held on February 28th, Steve Altemus, the CEO of Intuitive Machines, expressed his satisfaction with the mission’s outcome. “We had some very high-level mission objectives to touch down softly on the surface of the moon – softly and safely – and return scientific data to our customers,” he stated. “Both of those objectives are met, so in our minds, this is an unqualified success.”
NASA also confirmed that it had received data from all five of its active payloads on the IM-1 mission. These payloads operated both during the transit to the moon and after landing. Additionally, a sixth payload, a laser retroreflector, will undergo testing in the coming months.
Joel Kearns, the deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, emphasized the significance of this mission as a pathfinder and flight test. “A soft touchdown on the moon is a great accomplishment,” he said. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson echoed this sentiment, declaring Odysseus a success from NASA’s perspective.
However, the landing was not as soft as initially anticipated. The laser rangefinders on the spacecraft were inoperable, prompting engineers to modify the software and utilize lasers from a NASA payload called the Navigation Doppler Lidar. While this adjustment was believed to be successful, Tim Crain, Intuitive Machines’ chief technology officer, revealed that a data flag was overlooked in the software. Consequently, the data did not process as intended.
As a result, the lander descended just short of its landing site, landing approximately 1.5 kilometers away in an area with higher terrain. Altemus explained that the lander approached with more downward and horizontal velocity due to the miscalculation of its altitude. The impact caused at least one landing leg to break, and the lander ended up resting at a 30-degree angle on a 12-degree slope.
Despite these challenges, Altemus praised the robustness of the lander, stating that no major systems were compromised. Sue Lederer, the project scientist for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, expressed her satisfaction with the data received so far, noting that every payload had achieved some level of its objectives.
One payload that may have encountered issues is EagleCam, a student-built camera designed to take pictures of the lander. Changes in navigation software prevented EagleCam from being deployed during descent as planned. However, it was eventually deployed on February 28th, landing a mere four meters away. Altemus acknowledged that there might be technical difficulties with the camera or its Wi-Fi signal, but the team at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is actively working to address these concerns.
As the sun moves out of view of the illuminated solar panel, the lander is entering its final hours of operation. However, Intuitive Machines has not ruled out the possibility of reviving Odysseus after the two-week lunar night. Executives plan to attempt contact with the lander in two to three weeks, hoping that its batteries and electronics can withstand the colder conditions they were not designed for. This possibility is not unprecedented, as Japan’s SLIM lander successfully reestablished contact after surviving the lunar night despite not being specifically designed for such conditions.
In conclusion, despite a hard landing and some technical setbacks, the IM-1 lunar mission has been hailed as a triumph by NASA and Intuitive Machines. The mission’s objectives were met, and valuable scientific data has been collected. As the lander enters its final hours of operation, there remains a glimmer of hope that Odysseus will rise again after the lunar night.