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Update for February 14: SpaceX now aims to launch the IM-1 lunar lander mission for Intuitive Machines no earlier than Thursday, February 15, due to a liquid methane temperature issue during preparations to fuel the Odysseus lander. You can read our story and see updated mission times below.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a new private lunar lander to the Moon for the company Intuitive Machines and NASA this week, and you can watch it live online in a series of free webcasts.
Intuitive Machines’ first Nova-C lander mission, called IM-1, will launch to the moon on a Falcon 9 rocket on February 14 with payloads for NASA and other customers. Liftoff is scheduled for 12:57 a.m. EST (0557 GMT) from NASA Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If all goes well, IM-1 will land on the moon on February 22, NASA and Intuitive Machines said.
SpaceX, Intuitive Machines and NASA will offer live streams of the launch, and NASA will also host two pre-flight press conferences that you can listen to before liftoff. Read on for a rundown of when and how to watch SpaceX’s IM-1 launch live online for Intuitive Machines.
Monday, February 12: Pre-launch scientific conference call
On Monday, February 12, NASA will hold an audio-only teleconference to review the science experiments being conducted on the Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission. Will begin at 11:00 EST (16:00 GMT) and will be broadcast live on NASA TV. You can ask questions on social media using the hashtag #AskNASA.
IM-1 is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program and conducts NASA experiments “focusing on plume-surface interactions, space weather-lunar surface interactions, radio astronomy, space landing technologies.” precision and a communication and navigation node for future autonomous vehicles.” navigation technologies”, NASA wrote in a description.
Below is who will speak during the press conference.
- Susan Lederer, CLPS project scientist, NASA Johnson Space Center;
- Farzin Amzajerdian, principal investigator, Navigation Doppler Lidar, NASA Langley Research Center;
- Tamara Statham, co-principal investigator, Lunar Node-1, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center;
- Daniel Cremons, deputy principal investigator, Laser Retro-Reflector Array, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center;
- Nat Gopalswamy, Principal Investigator, Lunar Surface Photoelectron Pod Radio Observations, NASA Goddard;
- Michelle Munk, principal investigator, Stereo Camera for Lunar Plume Surface Studies, NASA Langley;
- Lauren Ameen, deputy project manager, radio frequency mass meter, NASA Glenn Research Center.
Tuesday, February 13: Lunar Delivery Preparation Teleconference
On Tuesday, February 13, NASA, SpaceX and Intuitive Machines will hold a pre-launch press conference to review preparation for the launch of the IM-1 lunar lander and its Falcon 9 rocket.
The press conference will begin at 1:30 pm EST (1830 GMT) and will be streamed live on NASA televisionbut it’s an audio-only briefing, so don’t expect video.
Below is who to expect to hear from during the briefing.
- Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for Exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters;
- Debra Needham, program scientist, Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office, NASA Headquarters;
- Trent Martin, vice president of Space Systems, Intuitive Machines;
- William Gerstenmaier, vice president of build and flight reliability at SpaceX;
- Arlena Moses, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Wednesday, February 14: SpaceX launch of IM-1
While NASA was hoping for a Valentine’s Day launch for Intuitive Machine’s IM-1 mission, with liftoff originally scheduled for 12:57 a.m. EST (0557 GMT), the mission was delayed by at least a day due to issues. with fuel temperature during liquid methane. fueling the IM-1 lander. Takeoff is not scheduled for any sooner than Thursday, February 15 at 1:05 am EST (0605 GMT).
NASA’s live broadcast of the IM-1 launch will begin shortly before liftoff on 12:20 am EST (05:20 GMT) and will be broadcast on NASA TV, NASA+ and other agency social media sites.
SpaceX will host its own livestream of the launch at the SpaceXX account (formerly Twitter).
Intuitive Machines will also host the launch livestream at the site of its IM-1 mission
You can also watch the IM-1 launch live on Space.com on our home page at the top of this page. However, the exact timing of SpaceX’s IM-1 launch will depend on weather, launch vehicle, and other conditions.
“Coverage is subject to change based on operational activities in real time,” NASA warned in a statement. The agency will provide updates on the mission through its NASA Artemis Blog.
If you can’t watch SpaceX’s IM-1 launch in person, NASA is also offering a “Virtual Guest” option to follow along remotely. You can sign up to be a virtual guest for the launch, receive updates and mission details, and more via the agency’s Virtual Guest Program website. Registration for the IM-1 mission is underway at your mission site.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 12:30 a.m. ET on February 14 to include the new launch date and time due to a SpaceX delay.