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IM-2

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This article is about the 2025 lunar landing mission. For other uses, see IM2.

IM-2 is an ongoing lunar mission launched on 27 February 2025, at 00:16:30 UTC, and conducted by Intuitive Machines for NASA's CLPS program, utilizing a Nova-C lunar lander.[3][4] The lander, named Athena by the company, was designed to investigate the presence and quantity of lunar water ice using PRIME-1, a payload consisting of a drill and mass spectrometer.

IM-2
Athena
File:Prime 1 nova c lander - intuitive machines (cropped).jpg
Artist rendition of the Athena spacecraft
NamesIM-2
CLPS-3
Mission typeLunar landing
OperatorIntuitive Machines
COSPAR ID2025-038A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.63099Edit this on Wikidata
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftAthena
Spacecraft typeNova-C
ManufacturerIntuitive Machines
Start of mission
Launch date27 February 2025, 00:16:30 UTC[1]
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5
Launch siteKennedy, LC-39A
Lunar lander
Landing siteMons Mouton[2]

IM-2 mission insignia
Motto: INTER LUCEM ET TENEBRAS
(Between Light and Darkness)
← IM-1
IM-3 →

Athena also carries the Micro Nova Hopper named Grace:[5] a drone equipped with a neutron spectrometer to explore the PSR (permanently shadowed region) of the nearby Marston crater. The mission aims to provide the first surface measurement of hydrogen in the PSR – an essential indicator of water.[6][7]

Background

The IM-1 mission in February 2024 followed the Peregrine mission by Astrobotic Technology, which launched in January 2024. The Peregrine landing at Gruithuisen Domes was abandoned when a propellant leak was observed after launch, and the spacecraft was guided to re-enter Earth's atmosphere.[8] The IM-1 Odysseus's "rough" soft Moon landing was the first soft lunar landing of any kind for an American-made spacecraft since Apollo 17 in 1972,[9] setting the stage for IM-2 to launch on 27 February 2025.[3][4]

Hardware

Main article: Intuitive Machines Nova-C

IM was selected in October 2020 in order to land its second Nova-C lander near the lunar south pole. NASA has designated the landing site at a ridge near the Shackleton crater, where there could be ice below the surface.[10] After the "rough" soft landing of IM-1, several adjustments were made, including improvements to the primary laser rangefinder system, which helps determine variables such as altitude and horizontal velocity.[11]

The primary payload, PRIME-1, includes the TRIDENT ice drill to sample ice from below the lunar surface and the MSolo mass spectrometer to measure the amount of ice in the samples.[12][13] ILO-1 prime contractor Canadensys is working to deliver "a flight-ready low-cost optical payload for the ILO-1 mission, ruggedized for the Moon South Pole environment". It could potentially be ready for integration on the IM-2 mission.[14]

Micro-Nova ("Gracie")
Mission typeLunar hopper
COSPAR ID2025-038A  
SATCAT no.63099 
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerIntuitive Machines
Payload mass1 kg
Start of mission
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5
Launch siteKennedy, LC-39A
Moon rover
Landing siteShackleton connecting ridge
MAPP
Mission typeLunar rover
COSPAR ID2025-038A  
SATCAT no.63099 
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerLunar Outpost
Landing mass5-10 kg
Payload mass15 kg
Start of mission
Launch date27 February 2025
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5
Launch siteKennedy, LC-39A
Moon rover
Landing siteMons Mouton
Instruments
RESOURCE
AstroAnt
Mission typeLunar rover
COSPAR ID2025-038A  
SATCAT no.63099 
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerMIT
DimensionsThe size of a matchbox
Start of mission
Launch date27 February 2025
Launch siteKennedy, LC-39A
Moon rover
Landing siteMons Mouton

The MiniPIX TPX3 SPACE payload, provided by the Czech company ADVACAM, will be onboard the Nova-C lunar lander. This payload is designed to monitor the radiation field on the Moon and help understand how to protect crew and equipment from the negative effects of cosmic rays. This marks the first Czech payload planned to be delivered to the Moon's surface.[15][16]

During the mission, IM will also deploy a second vehicle, its μNova (Micro-Nova) Hopper. Micro-Nova will separate from the Nova-C lander after landing and function as a standalone hopper lander, exploring multiple difficult-to-reach areas such as deep craters on the lunar surface,[17][18] by firing hydrazine rockets in controlled bursts to propel itself short distances. It will hop across craters in search of lunar ice, which could contain water critical to future crewed missions to the Moon.[19] Water ice could be processed into rocket propellant or used to support a permanent lunar habitat in the future. Micro-Nova is also planned to take the first pictures from inside craters at the lunar south pole and will be able to carry a 1-kilogram payload for more than 25 kilometers. The hopper will explore permanently shaded regions and could "fly into a lava tube and report images back", according to IM co-founder and CTO Tim Crain.[20][21]

Space technology company Lunar Outpost will send their first lunar rover, the Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP), on this mission in partnership with Nokia Bell Labs, Quantum Aerospace, and IM. MAPP will collect lunar samples for NASA under a contract worth just $1, which is symbolic of a new incentive for the emerging commercial space industry to access resources in space.[22][23] MAPP will have a mass of 5-10 kilograms, a payload mass of up to 15 kilograms, and a top speed of 10cm/s.[24][25] On its multi-day journey, the rover will autonomously map the lunar surface, capture stereo images and thermal data, and inspect samples of lunar regolith in a special bin mounted on its wheels. Photos of the samples and other data will be transmitted through radio equipment and antennas to communicate with the Nova-C lander.[19] MAPP will snap 3D images and record videos using the RESOURCE camera, developed by MIT. It will also deploy MIT's AstroAnt, a miniature rover the size of a matchbox, to conduct contactless temperature measurements as it drives around on MAPP's roof.[22][19][26][27]

A collaboration in order to demonstrate 4G cellular connectivity, in partnership with Nokia Bell Labs and NASA will be aboard the lander.[28] Nokia's equipment is a Network-In-a-Box and will connect the Nova-C lander with Lunar Outpost's MAPP rover and IM's Micro-Nova Hopper. This 4G/LTE network will provide more bandwidth than the more conventional ultra-high frequency (UHF) systems used for space communication. Nokia says they hope that future missions will use shared infrastructure to interlink bases on the lunar surface.

Yaoki rover

Main article: Yaoki

Yaoki[29][30][31][32][33][34] is a Moon rover made by Japanese company Dymon [ja].It weighs 498 grams.

Mission events

Prior to launch

In May 2024, the company announced that IM-2 was entering the final assembly stage.[35] In May, it was reported the company was upgrading both software and hardware, including the landing legs in order for better precision and control during descent and landing on the IM-2 mission.[36] In September 2024, the company said it was on track for launch in January 2025. The Lunar Trailblazer orbiter will be a secondary payload on the same Falcon 9 launch.[3] In November 2024, during an earnings call, Intuitive Machines said the launch of IM-2 was targeting February 2025.[4]

During mission planning, IM-2 intended to land at Shackleton connecting ridge.[37] Nevertheless, prior to launch, the targeted landing site was changed to Mons Mouton,[2] a high plateau near the Lunar south pole which was planned to be the landing site of the cancelled VIPER rover.

Launch

IM-2 launched on 27 February 2025 at 00:16 UTC, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 with a number of other payloads. Following an on-target orbital insertion, Athena deployed 45 minutes after launch and established contact with ground controllers at 01:17 UTC. It was confirmed the next morning that the IM-2 mission was on track for a lunar orbital insertion on 3 March, with a landing attempt scheduled for 6 March.[38]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "PRIME-1 (IM-2)". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Wattles, Jackie (February 26, 2025). "Texas-based company that made historic soft touchdown on the moon launches high-stakes lunar excursion". CNN. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c David, Leonard (September 12, 2024). "Ice-hunting Lunar Trailblazer and IM-2 nearly ready for January 2025 launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Launch of Intuitive Machines' Athena lander is targeted for no earlier than late February". intuitivemachines.com. January 7, 2025.
  5. ^ "IM-2". intuitivemachines.com. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  6. ^ David, Leonard (June 14, 2024). "Moon ice in the Artemis era: what we still don't know". spacenews.com. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  7. ^ "NASA, Intuitive Machines Announce Landing Site Location for Lunar Drill". nasa.gov. November 3, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2024.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  8. ^ Jeff Foust (January 20, 2024). "Astrobotic to begin formal investigation into failed Peregrine mission". spacenews.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  9. ^ "Intuitive Machines calls IM-1 a successful moon-landing mission". mynews13.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  10. ^ Hilary Smith (November 3, 2021). "NASA, Intuitive Machines Announce Landing Site Location for Lunar Drill". nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved May 10, 2024.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  11. ^ Aria Alamalhodaei (March 21, 2024). "Intuitive Machines' second moon mission on track for 2024". techcrunch.com. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  12. ^ "Intuitive Machines 2 (PRIME 1)". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved May 9, 2024.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  13. ^ Katherine Brown (October 16, 2020). "NASA Selects Intuitive Machines to Land Water-Measuring Payload on the Moon". nasa.gov. NASA. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  14. ^ "The ILO Mission – ILOA Hawai'i". April 7, 2021. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  15. ^ "Advacam – MiniPIX TPX3 Space". Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  16. ^ "LSU's Tiger Eye-1 to Monitor Radiation Environment in Deep Space". May 4, 2021. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  17. ^ "Intuitive Machines to Deploy and Operate First Lunar Communication Satellite in 2022". intuitivemachines.com. Intuitive Machines. June 21, 2021. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  18. ^ "Lunar Services – Getting Around – Extreme Lunar Surface Mobility". intuitivemachines.com. Intuitive Machines. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  19. ^ a b c "An inside look at Nokia's Moon mission". nokia.com. Nokia. July 25, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  20. ^ Keith Cooper (January 8, 2023). "What is Intuitive Machines and how is it aiming for the moon?". space.com. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  21. ^ "Intuitive Machines and NASA Finalize Contract for Extreme Lunar Mobility Spacecraft". intuitivemachines.com. Intuitive Machines. July 21, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Arianna Johnson (November 9, 2022). "MIT Will Return To The Moon For The First Time Since Apollo, Thanks To This Space Startup". Forbes. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  23. ^ Catherine Thorbecke (December 5, 2020). "NASA will pay a firm $1 to go to the moon and get a sample". abcnews.go.com. ABC News. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  24. ^ "Rovers". lunaroutpost.com. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  25. ^ Aria Alamalhodaei (July 14, 2022). "Lunar Outpost eyes up first-mover advantage for moon markets". techcrunch.com. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  26. ^ "AstroAnt". media.mit.edu. MIT Media Lab. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  27. ^ Stefanie Waldek (April 30, 2024). "Private moon lander will carry Nokia's 4G cell network to the lunar surface this year". space.com. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  28. ^ Jack Bantock (April 24, 2024). "Streaming and texting on the Moon - Nokia and NASA are taking 4G into space". cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  29. ^ "@yaoki_space" on Twitter
  30. ^ "Astrobotic, Dymon to Bring Lunar Rover to Moon - Via Satellite -". Via Satellite. October 15, 2019.
  31. ^ October 2019, Mike Wall 18 (October 18, 2019). "Japan's 1st Moon Rover to Touch Down in 2021". Space.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  32. ^ "Astrobotic and Dymon Announce Agreement to Bring the First Japanese Lunar Rover to the Moon". Astrobotic. October 14, 2019.
  33. ^ "YAOKI - Japanese Lunar Rover". February 15, 2021.
  34. ^ "Japan's 1st Moon Rover to Touch Down in 2021". October 21, 2019.
  35. ^ Intuitive Machines [@Int_Machines] (May 7, 2024). "Like cars on Earth, we monitor our spacecraft's temperatures in space. Engineers installed these tank sensors before starting the final assembly of our soon-to-be-named IM-2 mission lunar lander" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  36. ^ Jeff Foust (May 14, 2024). "Intuitive Machines making upgrades to second lunar lander". spacenews.com. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  37. ^ Intuitive Machines [@Int_Machines] (May 9, 2024). "Featured in the fiction television series #ForAllMankind, our non-fiction IM-2 mission is targeting a ridge not far from the Shackleton crater referred to as the "Shackleton connecting ridge", which could have water ice below its surface" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  38. ^ "Intuitive Machines' IM-2 Lunar Lander Successfully Commissioned and En Route to the Moon". investors.intuitivemachines.com. February 27, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.

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