CLPS Landing: Intuitive Machines (IM-1)

Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C-class lunar lander, launched on Thursday, Feb.15, is scheduled to land on the Moon’s South Pole region near the lunar feature known as Malapert A on Thursday, Feb. 22. This relatively flat and safe region is within the otherwise heavily cratered southern highlands on the side of the Moon visible from Earth. Landing near Malapert A will also help mission planners understand how to communicate and send data back to Earth from a location where Earth is low on the lunar horizon.

These deliveries are part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and Artemis campaign, which includes new solar system science to better understand planetary processes and evolution, search for evidence of water and other resources, and support long-term human exploration.