Update for February 14: SpaceX is now aiming to launch the IM-1 lunar lander mission for Intuitive Machines no later than Thursday, February 15, due to a problem with the temperature of liquid methane during preparations to fuel the Odysseus lander. You can read our story and see updated mission times below.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a new private lander onto the moon's surface for Intuitive Machines and NASA this week, and you can watch it live online in a series of free webcasts.
Intuitive Machines' first Nova-C lander, called IM-1, will launch to the moon aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on February 14 with payloads for NASA and other customers. The launch is scheduled for 12:57 a.m. EDT (0557 GMT) from NASA's Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA and Intuitive Machines said that if all goes well, IM-1 will land on the moon on February 22.
SpaceX, Intuitive Machines, and NASA will provide a live stream of the launch, and NASA will also host two pre-launch press conferences that you'll be able to listen to before liftoff. Read on for a summary of when and how to watch SpaceX's IM-1 launch of Intuitive Machines live online.
Monday, February 12: Pre-launch scientific conference call
On Monday, February 12, NASA will hold an audio-only conference call to review science experiments being conducted on Intuitive Machines' IM-1 mission. It will start on 11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT) And It will be broadcast live on NASA TV. You can ask questions on social media using the hashtag #AskNASA.
IM-1 is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program, and carries NASA experiments “focused on plume-surface interactions, space weather, lunar surface interactions, radio astronomy, precision landing techniques, and communications and navigation nodes for future autonomous aircraft. Navigation Technologies” NASA Written in the description.
Here's a look at who will speak during the press conference.
- Susan Lederer, CLPS Project Scientist, NASA Johnson Space Center;
- Farzin Amzagardian, principal investigator for Doppler LiDAR Navigation System, NASA Langley Research Center;
- Tamara Statham, co-principal investigator for Lunar Node-1, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center;
- Daniel Crimons, deputy principal investigator, Retro Laser Reflector Array, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center;
- Nath Gopalswami, Principal Investigator, Radio Observations of the Lunar Surface Photoelectron Atmosphere, NASA Goddard;
- Michele Monk, principal investigator, Stereo Camera for Lunar Feather Surface Studies, NASA Langley;
- Lauren Amin, deputy director of the Radio-Frequency Mass Measurement Project, NASA Glenn Research Center.
Tuesday, February 13: Teleconference on preparing for lunar birth
On Tuesday, February 13, NASA, SpaceX and Intuitive Machines will hold a pre-launch press conference to review the launch readiness of the IM-1 lunar lander and its Falcon 9 rocket.
The press conference will begin at 1:30 PM EST (1830 GMT) and will be streamed online. Live on NASA TVbut it's an audio-only summary, so don't expect a video.
Here's who you can expect to hear from during the briefing.
- Joel Kearns, Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters;
- Debra Needham, program scientist, Office of Exploration Science Strategy and Integration, NASA Headquarters;
- Trent Martin, Vice President, Space Systems, Intuitive Machines;
- William Gerstenmaier, vice president, construction and flight reliability, SpaceX;
- Arlena Moses, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Wednesday, February 14: SpaceX launches IM-1
While NASA had hoped to launch the Intuitive Machine rover's IM-1 mission on Valentine's Day, and was scheduled to launch at 12:57 a.m. EDT (0557 GMT), the mission was delayed by at least a day due to problems with… Fuel temperature while liquid methane is present. Refueling the IM-1 lander. Take-off is set no later than Thursday, February 15, 1:05 a.m. EST (0605 GMT).
NASA's live broadcast of the IM-1 launch will begin shortly before liftoff at 10:00 p.m 12:20 a.m. EDT (0520 GMT) And It will be broadcast on NASA Satellite Channel NASA+ and other agency social media sites.
SpaceX will host its own live broadcast of the launch on… SpaceX account (formerly Twitter).
Intuitive Machines will also host a live stream of the launch At its mission site IM-1
You'll also be able to watch the IM-1 launch live on Space.com on our home page, at the top of this page. However, the exact timing of SpaceX's IM-1 launch will depend on weather, launch vehicle and other conditions.
“Coverage is subject to change based on real-time operational activities,” NASA warned in a statement. The agency will provide updates about the mission via its website NASA Artemis Blog.
If you can't watch SpaceX's launch of IM-1 in person, NASA is also offering a “virtual guest” option to follow along remotely. You can register to be a virtual guest of the launch, and receive mission updates, details, and more via Agency's Virtual Guest Program website. Registration for the IM-1 mission is underway At its mission site.
Editor's Note: This story was updated at 12:30 a.m. ET on February 14 to include the new launch date and time due to a SpaceX delay.
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