Lunar Telescope Planned to Eye Milky Way Galaxy Center:http://www.leonarddavid.com/lunar-telescope-planned-to-eye-milky-way-galaxy-center/Quote from: Leonard DavidA telescope is on tap for the Moon’s Schroter’s Valley and aims to capture images of the Milky Way Galaxy Center from the lunar surface.The International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA Hawaii) has contracted Intuitive Machines of Houston Texas to fly its ILO-X payload on the IM-1 Nova-C lander mission set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2021 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
A telescope is on tap for the Moon’s Schroter’s Valley and aims to capture images of the Milky Way Galaxy Center from the lunar surface.The International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA Hawaii) has contracted Intuitive Machines of Houston Texas to fly its ILO-X payload on the IM-1 Nova-C lander mission set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2021 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Intuitive Machines selects SpaceX to launch its IM-2 Polar Moon mission no earlier than 2022 using a Falcon 9 rocket:
Quote from: Space Australia@CSIRO & @Int_Machines have just signed a 5-yr contract — to use the iconic Parkes radio telescope for upcoming exploration Moon missions as part of @NASA's CLPS starting late 2021.https://spaceaustralia.com/news/parkes-radio-telescope-assist-commercial-lunar-missions
@CSIRO & @Int_Machines have just signed a 5-yr contract — to use the iconic Parkes radio telescope for upcoming exploration Moon missions as part of @NASA's CLPS starting late 2021.
The first lunar lander mission by Intuitive Machines, which had been scheduled for launch late this year, has been delayed to early 2022 by its launch provider, SpaceX.
There's really enough information here to be able to demodulate and decode their telemetry stream if anyone has the antennas up for it
In late 2022, an Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander will carry several payloads, including a Nokia LTE/4G communications system to the lunar South Pole. This system will allow the Nova-C lander to provide a wireless communications network on the lunar surface and act as a communications gateway to Earth. Nova-C will also carry Lunar Outpost’s M1 Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover, equipped with Nokia’s LTE/4G user equipment and deployable antennas. Once on the lunar surface, MAPP will drive off the lander, entering an extremely compelling and demanding lunar environment to study the capabilities of Nokia’s lunar LTE/4G communications system. Over the course of its 12-day mission, MAPP will traverse the lunar surface and enable Nokia to collect performance data on its LTE/4G system.
https://twitter.com/Int_Machines/status/1486443848213610498
SAVING EARTH'S DATA ONE BYTE AT A TIMELonestar contracts with Intuitive Machines and Skycorp to bring key data storage and edge processing infrastructure to the world from the Moon.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lonestar Data Holdings Inc. announced today that it is launching a series of data centers to the lunar surface and has contracted for its first two missions to the lunar surface and for the build of its first data services payload, the first data center to the Moon.The VC funded startup is revolutionizing data services and communications from Earth's largest satellite, the Moon, by providing a platform for critical data infrastructure, and edge processing, further leveraging its ITU spectrum filings to enable broadband communications. Lonestar sees the Moon as the ideal location to serve the premium segment of the $200 billion global data storage industry while addressing key environmental and growing biosphere concerns triggered by the increasing growth of data centers around the world."Data is the greatest currency created by the human race," said Chris Stott, Founder of Lonestar. "We are dependent upon it for nearly everything we do and it is too important to us as a species to store in Earth's ever more fragile biosphere. Earth's largest satellite, our Moon, represents the ideal place to safely store our future."Following the success of the company's groundbreaking edge data center test on the ISS in December 2021, working with Canonical and Redwire, Lonestar is now pressing ahead with the first of its lunar data centers.Lonestar has contracted to perform a series of advanced service tests on Intuitive Machines' IM-1 mission, which is headed near Marius Hills in the larger Oceanus Procellarum, and then to fly their first full data services payload on Intuitive Machine's IM-2 to the lunar pole. Lonestar has also made the necessary spectrum filings for its missions from the ITU with the Moon as their focus."Our turnkey solution for delivering, communicating, and commanding customer payloads on and around the Moon is revolutionary," said Steve Altemus, President, and CEO of Intuitive Machines." Adding Lonestar Data Holdings and other commercial payloads to our lunar missions are critical steps toward Intuitive Machines creating and defining the lunar economy.The build of the first ever data center payload for Lonestar's proof-of-concept service has been contracted with Skycorp."Skycorp is pleased to be able to provide our advanced multi-core RISC-V in space server architecture to the forward thinking team at Lonestar," said Dennis Wingo, CEO and Founder of Skycorp. "Our system is currently operating as the world's first web server on the International Space Station and we look forward to supporting Lonestar in their groundbreaking Lunar application next year."Founded by Chris Stott, former CEO of ManSat, Mark Matossian, previously CEO of Iceye US and Head of Data Center Hardware Manufacturing at Google, Carol Goldstein, former ABN AMRO and Morgan Stanley banker, and Del Smith, former Senior Space Business Counsel at Dentons, Lonestar draws from a deep well of experienced leaders from both cloud and space industries.Lonestar is a rapidly growing VC funded lunar startup. The company's Seed round is being led by Scout Ventures, and has been joined by Seldor Capital and 2 Future Holding.Believing both form and function are important as the world's data takes this next giant leap, Lonestar is also working with world renowned architectural firm, BIG, for the exterior design of their first lunar data center.Media Inquiries:Jennifer Thompson[email protected]+1 (503) 724-4076About Lonestar - Saving Earth's Data One Byte at a TimeLonestar Data Holdings Inc. (Lonestar®), headquartered in St Petersburg's Maritime and Defense Technology Hub, has been founded by a proven team of experts from the Cloud and Space verticals to pioneer a future for data at the edge for all of us. Lonestar is fueled by remarkable and visionary investors led by Scout Ventures, Seldor Capital, and 2 Future Holding.
News from the current Lunar Surface Science Workshop just a few minutes ago: Lunar Flashlight, bumped from Artemis-1 as not ready in time, is now manifested as a secondary payload on IM-1 in the 4th quarter of this year. Stated by Barbara Cohen, who should know.
Quote from: Phil Stooke on 05/10/2022 04:05 pmNews from the current Lunar Surface Science Workshop just a few minutes ago: Lunar Flashlight, bumped from Artemis-1 as not ready in time, is now manifested as a secondary payload on IM-1 in the 4th quarter of this year. Stated by Barbara Cohen, who should know.Amusingly. Lunar Flashlight might get to the Moon before Artemis I fly.It helps using a reputable flight proven launcher.
On our second mission, we'll land and deploy a small rocket-fueled drone, which will use its thrusters to hop across the lunar surface - then, for the 1st time ever, descend into pitch black craters. What will we see? 👀gifs only
Commercial Lunar Network Completed Ahead of IM-1 Moon MissionTeams from Intuitive Machines and five space antenna ground stations validated the complete lunar communications solution required for Intuitive Machines’ first mission to the Moon, IM-1.Under an agreement with NASA and as part of a Live Sky exercise of Intuitive Machines Lunar Telemetry and Tracking Network (LTN), Intuitive Machines personnel utilized each of the IM-1 required deep space antennas to acquireand track NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) from Intuitive Machines’ Nova Control in Houston, Texas.“Completing these exercises with a spacecraft currently orbiting the Moon proves that our network is prepared for our first mission,” said Brian Mader, Intuitive Machines Mission Operations Engineer. “It’s incredible; the Intuitive Machines and ground station teams are laying the critical infrastructure to support a growing lunar economy.”Contact: Josh Marshall[email protected]
https://twitter.com/Int_Machines/status/1533863539336781825QuoteOn our second mission, we'll land and deploy a small rocket-fueled drone, which will use its thrusters to hop across the lunar surface - then, for the 1st time ever, descend into pitch black craters. What will we see? gifs only
On our second mission, we'll land and deploy a small rocket-fueled drone, which will use its thrusters to hop across the lunar surface - then, for the 1st time ever, descend into pitch black craters. What will we see? gifs only
Intuitive Machines, a premiere space exploration company, plans to go public through a business combination with Inflection Point Acquisition Company $IPAX to accelerate growth in the lunar economy. Read the full press release here for additional details:https://www.intuitivemachines.com/investors
🚀+🔥=🍾Christening the "Flame Range" *Not Pictured* -Rocket Engine Petting Zoo (coming soon)
Inflection Point Acquisition Corp., the SPAC merging with lunar lander developer Intuitive Machines, has set Feb. 8 for a shareholder vote on the merger, according to a prospectus filed with the SEC. https://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1844452/000121390023004867/f424b30123_inflectionpoint.htm
The announcement did not disclose a specific landing site, but company spokesperson Josh Marshall told SpaceNews that the new landing site is at Malapert A, a crater near the south pole previously identified as a potential landing site for lunar expeditions. He confirmed that NASA requested the change in the landing site.[...]Marshall said that NASA is increasing the value of the CLPS task order to accommodate the change, but deferred questions about the revised dollar value to NASA.[...]The company announcement also stated that the landing is now planned for late June.
Intuitive Machines (@Nasdaq: LUNR) is ringing the opening bell in New York. Our live stream:
Commercial lunar lander company Intuitive Machines has completed its merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), raising far less money than originally anticipated.<snip>The companies announced the merger in September 2022, long after the mania surrounding SPACs has cooled both in the space industry and the overall market. Inflection Point had $301 million of cash in trust, and the companies said they had arranged an additional $55 million in investment from the SPAC’s sponsors and a founder of Intuitive Machines, along with $50 million CF Principal Investments LLC, an affiliate of Cantor Fitzgerald & Company. In an investor presentation linked to the merger announcement, the companies anticipated having more than $330 million in cash after transaction expenses.However, in the Feb. 13 announcement that the merger had closed, the companies announced only $55 million of “committed capital from an affiliate of its sponsor and company founders.” The companies did not mention any proceeds of the SPAC itself, which could have been depleted by redemptions, where SPAC shareholders request their money back rather than hold stock in the merged company.
NASA Selects Intuitive Machines Team to Develop Survive the Lunar Night Technology:https://www.intuitivemachines.com/post/nasa-selects-intuitive-machines-team-to-develop-survive-the-lunar-night-technologyhttps://twitter.com/Int_Machines/status/1683939550878633984
Buying down exploration technology risk isn't simple, but serves as a key element to continuously moving forward. For our part, we have chosen a liquid Oxygen/Methane propulsion system; it could be the first use of cryogenic propellants for a planetary lander.
What are you guys using for on-surface lighting? Halogen? LEDs?
We intend to use sun and a small series of LED lights near the camera system.
Intuitive Machines Reports Second Quarter 2023 Financial Results and Announces Expected Launch of First Lunar MissionAugust 14, 2023 at 4:02 PM EDTReceived launch manifest date for first lunar mission, November 15th to 20th.Completed lunar lander full assembly with expected readiness for shipment to Cape Canaveral, Florida, by September 15th.Submitted more than $3 billion in proposals since the first quarter, including diverse product lines across the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and NASA.Started internal transition execution for NASA’s five-year $719 million Omnibus Multi-Engineering Services (“OMES”) III contract award to deliver on-orbit services to the Joint Polar Satellite System.Validated the Company’s Nuclear in-space venture with NASA Space Technology and Mission Directorate (“STMD”) Tipping Point initiative award in July for the development of a Radioisotope Power System (“RPS”) that may enable assets to survive and operate during the lunar night.HOUSTON, Aug. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intuitive Machines, Inc. (Nasdaq: LUNR, “Intuitive Machines,” or the “Company”), a leading space exploration, infrastructure, and services company, today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023.Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said, “During the second quarter, we were laser-focused on the final assembly process in preparing IM-1 for launch. Our lunar lander is complete and will be prepared for delivery in September. The Company has secured a launch window from pad 39A, preserving a six-day launch window starting on November 15th.”Mr. Altemus continued, “Progress continues throughout the Company; we’re building the primary IM-2 structure, integrating payloads and mechanisms to the second lander; while the Company transitions into its new Lunar Production and Operations Center at the Houston Spaceport. The City of Houston and the Houston Airport System helped finance the Company’s $40 million facility, designed to support NASA’s $93 billion Artemis program and growing commercial demand for space products and infrastructure, orbital services, lunar access services, and lunar data services.”Operational HighlightsCompleted main engine vibration and main propulsion system acceptance testing to certify Nova-C’s, IM-1 lunar mission spacecraft flight-ready status.Completed a comprehensive spacecraft test, including an engine test firing on IM-1.Integrated NASA’s TRIDENT lunar ice drill to the IM-2 lunar lander.Completed payload deployment mechanisms for IM-2 with the anticipated completion of our rocket-fueled drone, Micro Nova, in September.Expected grand opening of the Company’s Lunar Production and Operations Center at the Houston Spaceport is planned for September 29, 2023.Submitted proposal for NASA’s Near Space Network Services (NSNS) to provide Lunar distance communications to and from earth as well as data relay services around the Moon.Submitted proposal for NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services (“LTVS”) bid as the Moon Reusable Autonomous Crewed Exploration Rover (“RACER”) Team to develop NASA’s next-generation Lunar Terrain Vehicle for exploration and development of the south pole region of the Moon.Second Quarter 2023 Financial and Business HighlightsContracted backlog of $137.3 million at quarter-end.Second quarter 2023 revenue of $18.0 million, driven primarily by three NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative contracts within the Company’s lunar access services, compared to $19.2 million in the prior year end.Second quarter 2023 operating loss of $(13.2) million versus $(2.2) million in the prior year period.Ending cash balance of $39.1 million as of the end of the second quarter.Appointed Nicole Seligman to the Intuitive Machines Board of Directors. Ms. Seligman’s distinguished career has included senior leadership roles in global public companies.2023 OutlookGiven delays to government customer acquisition timelines, U.S. federal budget uncertainty and the uncertain cadence of new contractual awards, we are withdrawing our previously issued financial guidance for full year 2023. This is not a result of the loss of any anticipated material government customer commitments or contract awards.Mr. Altemus stated, “While we continue to work toward our milestones, the Company is taking steps to positively mitigate the effects of outside-controlled program delays and higher-priority launch pad congestion while retaining the integrity of our long-term growth plan. Concurrently, we are also pursuing opportunities to diversify the Company’s revenue streams. We have submitted more than $3 billion in proposals spread across the aerospace and defense sectors, including human spaceflight.”Conference Call InformationIntuitive Machines will host a conference call today, August 14, 2023, at 4:30 pm Eastern Time to discuss these results. Participants may access the call at 1-877-451-6152, international callers may use 1-201-389-0879, and request to join the Intuitive Machines earnings call. A link to the live webcast of the earnings conference call will be made available on the investors portion of the Intuitive Machines’ website at https://investors.intuitivemachines.com.Following the conference call, participants may access the telephonic replay at 1-844-512-2921, international callers may use 1-412-317-6671, and enter access code 13740192. A webcast replay will be available through the same link on the investors portion of the Intuitive Machines’ website at https://investors.intuitivemachines.com.Key Business Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresIn addition to the GAAP financial measures set forth in this press release, the Company has included certain financial measures that have not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and constitute “non-GAAP financial measures” as defined by the SEC. This includes adjusted EBITDA (“Adjusted EBITDA”).Adjusted EBITDA is a key performance measure that our management team uses to assess the Company’s operating performance and is calculated as net income (loss) excluding results from non-operating sources including interest income, interest expense, gain on extinguishing of debt, share based compensation, change in fair value instruments, depreciation, and provision for income taxes. Intuitive Machines has included Adjusted EBITDA because we believe it is helpful in highlighting trends in the Company’s operating results and because it is frequently used by analysts, investors, and other interested parties to evaluate companies in our industry.Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical measure, and investors should not consider it in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company’s results as reported under GAAP. Other companies, including companies in Intuitive Machines’ industry, may calculate Adjusted EBITDA differently, which reduces its usefulness as a comparative measure. Because of these limitations, you should consider Adjusted EBITDA alongside other financial performance measures, including various cash flow metrics, net income (loss) and our other GAAP results. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is included below under the heading “Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measure.”The Company has also included contracted backlog, which is defined as the total estimate of the revenue the Company expects to realize in the future as a result of performing work on awarded contracts, less the amount of revenue the Company has previously recognized. Intuitive Machines monitors its backlog because we believe it is a forward-looking indicator of potential sales which can be helpful to investors in evaluating the performance of its business and identifying trends over time.
Does anyone here know the mass of the fuel, liquid methane and oxygen, on IM-1?Gunters has a launch mass of 1908 kg.NASA GSFC also says 1908 kg and lists the thrust as 3100 N but has no more information.Of interest is the mass fraction and Isp to estimate the total delta-V capacity for another application. ...assuming the IM-1 flight goes well and Intuitive Systems lives to fight another day....
Standing down from tonight’s attempt due to off-nominal methane temperatures prior to stepping into methane load. Now targeting Thursday, February 15 at 1:05 a.m. ET for Falcon 9's launch of the @Int_Machines IM-1 mission from Florida → http://spacex.com/launches
Although I am a big supporter of the policy of NASA buying space science data ftom private companies (I wrote the enabling language in the Commercial Space Act of 1998), I am not happy with the implementation.My take on the implementation: NASA throws money at startups with no track record, and hopes that they can pull off lunar landings with zero experience in space. Giving contracts for companies that haven't even launched a Cubesat is a recipe for disaster.Once enough of these errors result in money thrown into the trash, I would hope that NASA will simply buy data from private missions, funded by private capital.
T+269: IM-1 and Beyond (with Tim Crain, Co-Founder and CTO of Intuitive Machines)MARCH 7, 2024Tim Crain, Co-Founder and CTO of Intuitive Machines, joins me to talk about their recent IM-1 mission to land Odysseus on the Moon as part of NASA’s CLPS program.
