Intuitive Machines

IM-2 took us farther than ever before—the southernmost lunar landing ever achieved. A historic step into one of the most extreme environments in the solar system.  Although Athena was not upright after landing, the mission pressed forward. Our team executed payload operations and was able to transmit critical data before Athena’s batteries depleted, proving that even in the face of adversity, our technology and expertise can deliver. Every challenge is a lesson. Every mission is a step forward. IM-2 proved that Intuitive Machines isn’t just landing on the Moon—we’re building the infrastructure for humanity’s future in space. And we’re just getting started. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eUEDryt8

Front-row seat to the Moon—next stop, the surface!  Athena continues to be in excellent health in lunar orbit. Overnight, flight controllers calibrated Athena’s landing navigation cameras, which are designed to autonomously track her position and detect hazards during landing.   These image sequences are from a separate public affairs camera. The first 20 second sequence, taken during an eclipse is over the Moon's south pole region, near her intended landing site, Mons Mouton—one of NASA's designated human landing sites for the Artemis campaign.   The second sequence is made up of 240 images taken over a mid-latitude region over a 10-minute span. Each image is shown as 2 frames in this sequence. Athena is still targeting a landing opportunity on March 6 at 11:32 a.m. CST. 

Effective March 3rd, Intuitive Machines appoints executive leader James J. Frelk as Senior Vice President, Data Services.   Read more: https://lnkd.in/eUJF9Re8

Joined by legendary NASA Flight Director Gene Kranz, Intuitive Machines flight controllers commanded Athena’s third and final planned Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM) at 12:18 p.m. CST on March 2 to refine the lander’s trajectory ahead of Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI). Athena is now prepared for her scheduled March 3 LOI maneuver, the longest main engine firing to date. She continues to be in excellent health.

The American flag mounted to Athena’s side closeout panel was cleaned for flight service on March 2, 1970, during the height of the Apollo program. While this NASA-donated flag never left Earth during the Apollo missions, Athena is continuing the tradition established by Odysseus, carrying the Apollo-era American flag on her journey to the lunar surface. 

Vests have become a recognizable symbol of leadership in space mission control, a tradition rooted in the legacy of Gene Kranz, NASA’s iconic Flight Director during the Apollo missions. Intuitive Machines Red, White, and Blue teams staff Nova Control, our Houston-based mission control room, for eight-hour shifts to provide 24/7 mission operations. Kranz’s distinctive white vest represented his calm under pressure and leadership during high-stakes situations. Today, mission directors at Intuitive Machines continue this tradition. These vests pay homage to Kranz’s leadership and symbolize mission directors' critical role in space exploration missions.   #AdLunam #IM2 #Athena

Athena sent the first IM-2 images from space shortly after liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida while traveling approximately 24,000 miles per hour. Athena used four super-wide field of view public affairs cameras to take pictures every minute for 30 minutes after separating from SpaceX’s second stage. Then, Athena took photos every 5 minutes for the next hour. Follow along for mission updates: https://bit.ly/3F0yRu9  

After liftoff on February 26, Athena established a stable attitude, solar charging, and radio communications contact with our mission operations center in Houston. The lander is in excellent health, sending selfies, and preparing for a series of planned main engine firings to refine her trajectory ahead of lunar orbit insertion, planned on March 3. Intuitive Machines is targeting a lunar landing opportunity on March 6. Intuitive Machines intends to continue publishing mission updates on X and the IM-2 mission webpage. https://lnkd.in/g4Mb7QGt

Athena completed all integration milestones and is safely encapsulated within SpaceX's payload fairing in preparation for launch. https://lnkd.in/gaUH_xYa #AdLunam #IM2 #Athena