Intuitive Machines IM-1 to attempt landing on Feb 22.

[MClark]

Getting data

https://www.intuitivemachines.com/im-1

 

[JLP1]

Good for them

Intuitive Machines is located not far from us at the Houston Space Port and I'm sure they are some happy people there right now. We also have Space Center Houston at the Johnson Space Center and they have a a full blown Saturn 5 on display along with other space related items. I marvel at how stout the Saturn 5, the rover, the LEM, and other items were built back then. The amount of heavy metal in the Saturn is amazing in comparison to the the ships and landers today. The landers today seen to be so fragile that they don't look strong enough to go down the street much less to the moon. But technology has come a long way and the amount of electronics boogles the mind. For them to be able to patch into the NASA Lidar when the onboard lasers failed 286,000 miles from home is amazing. It looks like all of the experimental payloads are bolted to the sides of the lander to do their jobs.

So hats off to those folks and lets hope it won't be another 50 years befor we get back.

 

[kuririn]

I hope the Embry University camera project got some good third party views of the landing.

 

[cvanc]

So apparently "Lunar Node 1" is one of the devices on the lander.

I'm not sure if this is the primary, or only, link back to Earth, but DSN Madrid is talking to it right now.

 

[Huxter]

Odie landed just like the Japanese SLIM!

 

[NTP2]

Odie landed just like the Japanese SLIM!

View attachment 632195

for real! It happened twice! How many boulders are there?!

 

[cvanc]

Yup. They're saying days to get pictures, which makes me wonder if their high gain antenna is not available (pointed at the ground)?

I'm assuming it has a high gain antenna; most of the photos I've seen are of one side of the vehicle.

Laser rangefinder could not be turned on - apparently a human safety interlock that prevents injury on the ground was inadvertently left on at launch.

 

[NTP2]

Yup. They're saying days to get pictures, which makes me wonder if their high gain antenna is not available (pointed at the ground)?

I'm assuming it has a high gain antenna; most of the photos I've seen are of one side of the vehicle.

Laser rangefinder could not be turned on - apparently a human safety interlock that prevents injury on the ground was inadvertently left on at launch.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it needs to look like a bug, the LEM was way shorter and it would take a lot more to tip it over.

 

[kuririn]

Laser rangefinder could not be turned on - apparently a human safety interlock that prevents injury on the ground was inadvertently left on at launch.

Forgot to pull the "Remove before flight" flag.

 

[Huxter]

Yup. They're saying days to get pictures, which makes me wonder if their high gain antenna is not available (pointed at the ground)?

I'm assuming it has a high gain antenna; most of the photos I've seen are of one side of the vehicle.

Laser rangefinder could not be turned on - apparently a human safety interlock that prevents injury on the ground was inadvertently left on at launch.

"Serendipitous" saves the day!

The lasers were not meant to be tested before descent. The lower than expected perigee made them turn on the laser system and nada. This gave them time to use the NASA LIDAR. VERY fortunate indeed!

 

[Marc_G]

No eaglecam landing pictures: it was turned off for landing following the laser switch. May be deployed later.

https://www.space.com/intuitive-machines-odysseus-moon-lander-no-landing-photos

 

[terryg]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it needs to look like a bug, the LEM was way shorter and it would take a lot more to tip it over.

Am I the only one picturing a Starship based lunar lander lying on its side on the lunar surface?

 

[MClark]

 

[bjphoenix]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it needs to look like a bug, the LEM was way shorter and it would take a lot more to tip it over.

This is a high level failure. Maybe a marketing person designed the lander vs an engineer. Estes did a better job over 50 years ago- I've seen those things of various sizes land on all 4 legs.

That was my first impression when I saw the photo- it is relatively tall for its footprint. Let it land a little off and it goes over on its side. I would think it should look like a flying saucer with legs sticking out. I realize that wouldn't fit in a rocket very well but it needs to do some folding.

 

[cvanc]

I listened to most of the press conference while I made dinner. Mistakes were made but I think this tale will age well.

It's a story of serious thinking on their feet mixed with just plain dumb luck, executed with no time to spare. It ain't Apollo 13 but it's a lot more than SCE to AUX.

The smartest move of all? Waiting for the markets to close for the weekend before holding the presser!

 

[RocketPro]

Tough to stick something with the aspect ratio of the LEM on a modern launch vehicle. The LEM was tucked into a ~10m fairing. That’s twice the diameter of today’s fairings. I believe that all the landers are going to be at the higher aspect ratio for a while.

 

[NTP2]

Am I the only one picturing a Starship based lunar lander lying on its side on the lunar surface?

No…

 

[Marc_G]

Here's a summary article.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68388695

Lander on its side, solar cells generating power, antennas sufficient to communicate, orientation has most experimental bits pointing "up" which is good news, better than pointing down, 9-10 days of operations left before night falls.

 

[Tractionengines]

Am I the only one picturing a Starship based lunar lander lying on its side on the lunar surface?

I wish I could draw cartoons... I have one along those lines in my head, but wouldn't be as good explained. Maybe I'll draw it with stick figures..

2nd:
Flight stability: we got that.

In flight corse verification / adjustments : check

Program updates, and changes at thousands of miles away : yep

Standing vertical, on our feet on uneven ground : needs work.

 

[cvanc]

HEADLINE FEB 24:

"Boeing door bolts found inside Moon lander radar"

Signed,
They were around here somewhere

Also signed,
I smell an ISO audit

 

[MClark]

Maybe someone will come by and stand it up.

 

[Huxter]

as soon as they straighten

 

[Marc_G]

Good discussion from Scott Manley:

 

[bjphoenix]

Good discussion from Scott Manley:

His take was that the lander would be in more danger of tipping in the lower moon gravity, even more reason it should have been designed differently from the start.

 

[Rob Campbell]

Odie landed just like the Japanese SLIM!

View attachment 632195

I've fallen and I can't get up!

 

[OverTheTop]

I've fallen for you



Seriously though, what an amazing feat by such a small company in a short period of time. Well done to all involved.

 

[NTP2]

I wonder if it could be possible to tip it up with the maneuvering thrusters?

 

[Peartree]

for real! It happened twice! How many boulders are there?!

It's the moon. It's boulders all the way down man!

 

[Marc_G]

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/lro/nasas-lro-images-intuitive-machines-odysseus-lander/

 

[Marc_G]

They expect to cut the mission short:

https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-private-nasa-28fdcd5ce5b50586d3feee68ae26864c

Sideways moon landing cuts mission short, private US lunar lander will stop working Tuesday