Intuitive Machines, an American aerospace company based in Houston, has announced a delay in the planned flight of its first lunar lander mission. The mission, known as IM-1, was originally scheduled to launch between January 12th and 16th. However, due to changes in SpaceX’s launch schedule, the flight has been pushed to mid-February.
The delay is a result of “adverse weather conditions” that caused changes in SpaceX’s launch schedule. Although exact details of SpaceX’s schedule changes have not been provided, it is speculated that the delay is also due to the rescheduling of the Falcon Heavy mission with the US military’s X-37B spacecraft, now planned for December 28th.
Originally, the IM-1 launch was supposed to take place in mid-November, but earlier delays caused by “pad congestion” pushed the launch window to January. The company hoped for a January launch, which would allow for a landing in the lunar South Pole region on either January 19th or 21st.
Despite the delay, Intuitive Machines has confirmed that their lunar lander is ready for integration with the Falcon 9 rocket. The lander has completed various pre-launch milestones and is awaiting the next available launch window.
Interestingly, Intuitive Machines’ updated plans may result in two lunar landings just a few days apart in February. Astrobotic, another company participating in NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, announced that their Peregrine lander is also ready for launch in January. If everything goes according to plan, Peregrine may attempt a landing on February 23rd.
While delays in space missions are not uncommon, both Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic are making efforts to deliver their commercial payloads to the Moon, demonstrating their commitment. As the new launch dates approach, expectations for successful lunar landings are also growing.
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The source of the article is from the blog elblog.pl