Intuitive Machines selects SpaceX to launch Nova-C to the Moon in 2021 on a Falcon 9 rocket.Houston-based Intuitive Machines selected SpaceX to launch its lunar lander, Nova-C, to the Moon in 2021 on a Falcon 9 rocket.“Intuitive Machines is thrilled to sign with SpaceX to take Nova-C on its first mission to the moon,” said Intuitive Machines President and CEO, Steve Altemus. “SpaceX’s ability to make low-cost quality lunar transport is paramount to completing NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contract and Intuitive Machines becoming the first commercial company to land on the Moon.”NASA awarded Intuitive Machines the first mission task order under the CLPS contract, May 31, 2019. It calls for Intuitive Machines to develop, launch and land Nova-C on the lunar surface with a payload of NASA-provided instruments that will conduct science investigations and demonstrate advanced technologies on the lunar surface.Intuitive Machines reviewed proposals from multiple launch providers and ultimately selected SpaceX for its proven record of reliability and outstanding value.Nova-C will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.“We’re honored that Intuitive Machines selected Falcon 9, SpaceX’s tried and true workhorse, for this pioneering mission to the Moon, said Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX. “Our partnership with Intuitive Machines is a great example of two private companies working together with NASA to advance space exploration.”About Nova-CPowered by the liquid methane main engine, Nova-C can deliver at least 220 pounds of space technology and instrumentation cargo to anywhere on the lunar surface. On its maiden mission in 2021, Nova-C will carry 5 NASA CLPS payloads to the lunar surface and transmit scientific data back to Earth during 13.5 days of activity on the moon. Intuitive Machines is in the process of adding additional payloads from other customers to the 2021 mission to fill out the available cargo manifest.Our Nova-C lunar lander draws direct heritage and lessons learned from NASA’s Project M lunar lander and Project Morpheus experience. Project M and its terrestrial counterpart, Project Morpheus, were designed, developed and tested by NASA JSC engineers demonstrate new technologies for planetary landing included autonomous hazard avoidance, precision landing, and high performance cryogenic liquid Oxygen (LOX) and liquid Methane (LCH4) integrated propulsion. Core Morpheus lander team members left government service and founded Intuitive Machines.About Intuitive MachinesFounded in 2013, Intuitive Machines was formed from practical experience in large complex space systems development. The people of Intuitive Machines blend deep technical knowledge with practices honed over 40 years of human spaceflight; practices in risk-based decisionmaking, redundancy management, fault tolerance and isolation, safety, reliability, maintainability, verification testing, and operations.
Nova-C will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
QuoteNova-C will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.It is curious that they specify LC-39A, which excludes LC-40.Why be so specific?It's easy to speculate on it being a NASA mission from the NASA center, but does anyone have any real information on the actual motivation?Also, in the render, the spacecraft if held away from the second stage by three tall rings, two of which have very large holes, probably lightweighting. A single ring would seem to be sufficient to keep the landing legs off the second stage, if even one is needed.Any information on why?
Space for rideshares?
Great news.What does the abbreviation NAT/VO stand for?
Quote from: A_M_Swallow on 10/02/2019 10:17 pmGreat news.What does the abbreviation NAT/VO stand for?Natural sound and voiceover. I.e. those shots are B-roll (a series of raw shots released to help journalists/media make video packages about you).
QuoteNova-C will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.It is curious that they specify LC-39A, which excludes LC-40.Why be so specific?It's easy to speculate on it being a NASA mission from the NASA center, but does anyone have any real information on the actual motivation?...
Quote from: Comga on 10/02/2019 07:53 pmQuoteNova-C will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.It is curious that they specify LC-39A, which excludes LC-40.Why be so specific?It's easy to speculate on it being a NASA mission from the NASA center, but does anyone have any real information on the actual motivation?...I would hazard a guess SpaceX will be able fuel the spacecraft with CH4 though the fairing while F9 is being fueled at LC-39A because if the infrastructure for Starship & SH
Intuitive Machines says it chose SpaceX to launch the first Nova-C lander after a “fully open competition” among launch providers. SpaceX will top off the lander’s cryo methalox propulsion system with propellants until just minutes before launch to mitigate boil-off concerns.
I would hazard a guess SpaceX will be able fuel the spacecraft with CH4 though the fairing while F9 is being fueled at LC-39A because if the infrastructure for Starship & SH
QuoteSpaceX will top off the lander’s cryo methalox propulsion system with propellants until just minutes before launch to mitigate boil-off concerns.
SpaceX will top off the lander’s cryo methalox propulsion system with propellants until just minutes before launch to mitigate boil-off concerns.
Quote from: Tomness on 10/02/2019 11:23 pmI would hazard a guess SpaceX will be able fuel the spacecraft with CH4 though the fairing while F9 is being fueled at LC-39A because if the infrastructure for Starship & SHQuote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 10/03/2019 12:28 pmQuoteSpaceX will top off the lander’s cryo methalox propulsion system with propellants until just minutes before launch to mitigate boil-off concerns.Hmmm, I guess they are. Interesting.
“They don’t specify it in that way, but essentially, we’re a primary (payload),” [Trent Martin of Intuitive Machines] said. “The reason it’s a rideshare is we weigh 1,700 kilograms (about 3,750 pounds), so they have remaining mass available.”“Depending on their rideshare, they could have someone that goes to GTO and we can do our own TLI, or there’s a possibility they could throw us (directly toward the moon), so we’re protecting for both,” Martin said Wednesday.
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 10/03/2019 12:28 pmQuoteSpaceX will top off the lander’s cryo methalox propulsion system with propellants until just minutes before launch to mitigate boil-off concerns.I really have some doubts about rideshare participants wanting to go along with this, but we'll see.
>>There's no reason for SpaceX to run methane to the TEL for their own purposes.
Quote from: gongora on 10/03/2019 12:09 am>>There's no reason for SpaceX to run methane to the TEL for their own purposes.Which has my Spider-Sense tingling that this F9 stuff is misdirection. Space News reported SpaceX has been negotiating with 3 telecoms for 2021 Starship rides. Perhaps it'll actually be a rideshare on one of those.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/02/intuitive-machines-selects-spacex-to-launch-commercial-lunar-lander/QuoteIntuitive Machines confirmed plans Wednesday to launch a commercial lunar lander aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Space Coast in 2021 on a mission to deliver multiple payloads to the moon, including up to five science instruments for NASA.The Houston-based company’s first robotic Nova-C lander will carry up to 220 pounds, or 100 kilograms, of payloads to the moon’s surface. Launch and landing are scheduled for July 2021, according to Trent Martin, vice president of aerospace systems at Intuitive Machines....The Nova-C lander will likely launch on a rideshare mission with other spacecraft on the same Falcon 9 rocket, Martin said.“They don’t specify it in that way, but essentially, we’re a primary (payload),” Martin said. “The reason it’s a rideshare is we weigh 1,700 kilograms (about 3,750 pounds), so they have remaining mass available.”...“Depending on their rideshare, they could have someone that goes to GTO and we can do our own TLI, or there’s a possibility they could throw us (directly toward the moon), so we’re protecting for both,” Martin said Wednesday.
Intuitive Machines confirmed plans Wednesday to launch a commercial lunar lander aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Space Coast in 2021 on a mission to deliver multiple payloads to the moon, including up to five science instruments for NASA.The Houston-based company’s first robotic Nova-C lander will carry up to 220 pounds, or 100 kilograms, of payloads to the moon’s surface. Launch and landing are scheduled for July 2021, according to Trent Martin, vice president of aerospace systems at Intuitive Machines....The Nova-C lander will likely launch on a rideshare mission with other spacecraft on the same Falcon 9 rocket, Martin said.“They don’t specify it in that way, but essentially, we’re a primary (payload),” Martin said. “The reason it’s a rideshare is we weigh 1,700 kilograms (about 3,750 pounds), so they have remaining mass available.”...“Depending on their rideshare, they could have someone that goes to GTO and we can do our own TLI, or there’s a possibility they could throw us (directly toward the moon), so we’re protecting for both,” Martin said Wednesday.
