Aerospace company Intuitive Machines is set to make history by sending its unmanned Nova-C lander to the moon, Houston Public Mediareported. The mission would be the first commercial aircraft to land on the lunar surface and the first U.S. soft landing on the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The mission, designated IM-1, represents the first of three contracts awarded to Intuitive Machines by NASA. The program aims to find more cost-efficient methods for lunar cargo transport. This initiative supports NASA’s Artemis missions, designed to return humans to the moon.
The Nova-C spacecraft, which stands 14 feet tall and weighs approximately 1,500 pounds, is expected to launch aboard a SpaceX rocket in November. Once it reaches the moon, the lander will engage in a two-week research mission.
Research objectives include studying debris plumes created during soft landings with the data contributing to the safety of future lunar missions and astronauts on the moon. Nova-C will also deploy cameras to capture images of itself to provide a unique perspective on moon landings.
Nova Control, a control center located about a mile from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, will control the IM-1 commercial mission.
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Image Credit: Houston Public Media
