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| Names | IM-3 CLPS CP-11 CP-11 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Lunar landing |
| Operator | Intuitive Machines |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Nova-C |
| Manufacturer | Intuitive Machines |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | Late October 2025 (2025-10) UTC |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Launch site | Kennedy LC-39A |
| Lunar lander | |
| Landing site | Reiner Gamma |
| Nova-C landers← IM-2IM-4 → Commercial Lunar Payload Services← Griffin Mission 1iSpace Mission 3 → | |
IM-3 is an upcoming lunar mission that will be carried in late October 2025 by Intuitive Machines for NASA's CLPS program, using a Nova-C lunar lander.
Background
NASA selected a Nova-C mission for CLPS task order CP-11. It will deliver payloads to the lunar swirl in the Reiner Gamma region. In August 2021, Intuitive Machines selected SpaceX to launch its third lunar mission, IM-3. As of August 2024, the launch of IM-3 is expected to take place no earlier than October 2025. The lander will conduct experiments investigating the properties of the unexpected magnetic field that has been detected in the vicinity of the Reiner Gamma swirl.
Mission hardware
Main article: Intuitive Machines Nova-CThe Reiner Gamma landing site was announced for the first PRISM opportunity and the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory's Lunar Vertex payload was selected to conducted a detailed scientific analysis of the surface and surface environment. David Blewett (APL) is the principal investigator and leads the science team. Lunar Vertex includes payload elements on the Nova-C lander (APL magnetometer, SwRI plasma spectrometer, and Redwire camera arrays) and on a Lunar Outpost rover (APL magnetometer and Canadensys microscopic imager). APL also provided overall management, systems engineer, SMA, and rover integration and testing.
Additional IM-3 payloads include the Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Explorers (CADRE) rovers, ESA's MoonLIGHT Pointing Actuator (MPAc) and KASI's Lunar Space Environment Monitor (LUSEM).
Mission events
Prior to launch
As of early 2025, the mission is scheduled for launch in October 2025.
See also
References
- ^ "NASA Payloads for (CLPS PRISM) CP-11 – Intuitive Machines Nova-C Lander". NASA. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
- "NASA Selects Intuitive Machines to Deliver 4 Lunar Payloads in 2024". Intuitive Machines. November 17, 2021. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- "Three-peat: Intuitive Machines Selects SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket for Third Moon Mission". Intuitive Machines. August 10, 2021. Archived from the original on February 12, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- "NASA Selects Intuitive Machines for New Lunar Science Delivery". NASA (Press release). November 17, 2021. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- NASA Selects Intuitive Machines for New Lunar Science Delivery Archived 17 November 2023 at the Wayback Machine By Karen Fox et. al. Nov.17, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- "Lunar Vertex: Solving Mysteries Swirling Around the Moon's Magnetic Regions | Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory". www.jhuapl.edu. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
External links
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