There are currently five awarded Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) missions to the lunar surface that are scheduled to occur during the next three years. Intuitive Machines (IM) has two of the missions and both will be launched by SpaceX.
NASA awarded IM the company’s second payload delivery contract award under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, October 16, 2020. IM has packaged the CLPS payload with two other high profile NASA technology payloads into IM-2 Polar Mission.
The company’s IM-1 Mission will be launching this year aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, while the IM-2 Polar Mission will also launch on a Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than 2022.
“We’re honored to launch Intuitive Machines’ important missions to the lunar surface,” said SpaceX Vice President of Commercial Sales, Tom Ochinero. “These missions, in partnership with NASA, will help further the goal of extending humanity’s reach beyond Earth.”
“Signing with SpaceX for our IM-2 Polar Mission, our second scheduled lunar landing, is more than affordable quality lunar transport,” said IM President and CEO, Steve Altemus. “Launching Nova-C on a rocket with a proven record of reliability and outstanding value is an assurance to NASA and our commercial payload customers that IM is dedicated to sticking the landing in back-to-back Moon missions. “Our Lunar Payload and Data Service (LPDS) program matures with each awarded mission to the Moon,” said Altemus. That maturity is essential for creating a reliable and repeatable lunar landing service that brings us closer to sustained lunar exploration and development.”
Intuitive Machines is a premier provider and supplier of space products and services that enable sustained robotic and human exploration to the Moon, Mars and beyond. We drive markets with competitive world-class offerings synonymous with innovation, high quality, and precision. Whether leveraging state-of-the-art engineering tools and practices or integrating research and advanced technologies, our solutions are insightful and have a positive impact on the world.