Intuitive Machines, a company based in Houston, Texas, has announced that it is postponing the launch of its first lunar lander to mid-February in partnership with launch provider SpaceX. The delay, the company explained, was the result of unfavorable weather conditions that caused shifts in the SpaceX launch manifest.
The new launch window is set for mid-February, a full month after the original January 12-16 window, due to the specific lighting conditions required for the mission profile. The Nova-C spacecraft aims to land near the lunar south pole, and these lighting conditions are only present a few days each month.
In addition to the lighting conditions, the company is constrained by the availability of launch infrastructure. The lunar lander needs to launch from a specific launch site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Launch Complex 39A, as it requires oxygen and methane propellants prior to launch. This pad is the only one equipped with a tower to make the lander accessible for fueling.
Originally, the Nova-C was expected to touch down on the moon around January 19 or shortly after, as it is taking a direct trajectory to reach lunar orbit. While Intuitive Machines did not specify an exact launch window, it’s becoming increasingly likely that it could coincide with the planned landing of Astrobotic’s Peregrine, which is targeting a February 23 landing date on the moon.
Both landers were developed as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, designed to solicit commercial landers for scientific and research payload delivery to the lunar surface. Nova-C will be carrying six payloads for NASA as part of this initial mission and has been awarded two additional CLPS contracts for lunar cargo delivery.
Despite the delay, the new launch window is a minor setback for Intuitive Machines, which aims to make lunar access a focus of its business. According to a presentation released last September when the company announced it would go public via a merger with a blank-check firm, Intuitive Machines expects to generate $279 million in revenue from its lander services next year alone.
In addition to lunar access, Intuitive Machines is establishing business segments related to orbital services, such as satellite servicing and refueling, providing data services for the moon, and the sale of other space products.
The delay in the launch of the Nova-C lunar lander underscores the complex factors at play in commercial space missions, from weather conditions to infrastructure requirements. Nevertheless, Intuitive Machines remains optimistic about the potential of its lunar lander and the future of its business in space exploration and development.
