The launch of the SpaceX Intuitive Machines Moon Mission is postponed by Two Days

The planned launch of a robotic moon lander built by Houston-based aerospace company Intuitive Machines was called off less than two hours before Wednesday’s liftoff time and postponed for at least a day, launch contractor SpaceX said on Tuesday night.SpaceX, the private rocket and satellite company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, said on the social media platform X that the launch team was “standing down from tonight’s attempt” because of irregular methane temperatures before loading.

Should the launch happen this week, the landing will take place on Feb. 22 near a Malapert A crater. Malapert A is merely a satellite-based crater within the larger Malapert crater, which was named after Charles Malapert, a Belgian astronomer from the 17th century.

Before the moon landing, Odysseus will enter orbit about a day before.

The landing spot, which is located approximately 185 miles from the south pole on the near side of the moon, makes it easier for spacecraft to land due to its flat terrain. Despite the possibility of frozen water at the lunar south pole, which is a target of numerous space agencies and companies, no American spacecraft has ever landed there.

The endeavor highlights the growing significance of the commercial space industry in space exploration. Non-governmental organizations are now relying on contractors to fly cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station, as well as develop the spacecraft that will land on the moon and their spacesuits. It is seeking the assistance of the corporate sector in creating habitats that could potentially replace the Earth’s space station.

Despite the delay, Intuitive Machines still prioritize lunar access as one of its business priorities. The company’s plans to merge with a blank-check firm and merge with the public were announced last September, and it is projected to earn $279 million in revenue from its lander services next year. The business of Intuitive Machines is expanding its operations to include other space-related services, including satellite servicing, refueling, data services for the moon, and sales of other space products.

However, due to unfavorable weather conditions and changes in the SpaceX launch manifest, Intuitive Machines’ first mission with its Moon probe has been rescheduled for mid-February. It is necessary to have this delay in order to ensure the lighting conditions are suitable for landing near the lunar south pole. Despite this defeat, Intuitive Machines has maintained its commitment to making lunar access an integral part of its business and is targeting to generate significant profits from its lander services in the coming year.

The vehicle is carried by a 10-kilogram rover called Rashid, which was constructed by the United Arab Emirates and measures just over 2 by 2.5 meters. The nation that boasts a significant oil sector is entering the space race, but its recent accomplishments include a Mars probe in 2020. Should it succeed, Rashid will be the first Arab nation to undertake a mission on the Moon.

“Since we started conceptualizing this project in 2016, Takeshi Hakamada, the ispace CEO, has achieved a lot of accomplishments,” he stated.

The Google Lunar XPrize competition, which seeks to land a rover on the Moon before a 2018 deadline, did not have a winner, and Hakuto was one of the five finalists. Some of the projects are still in progress.

However, a second finalist from the Israeli organization SpaceIL crashed into the surface during their landing attempt in April 2019, failing to become the first privately-funded mission to achieve this feat. Although it has a workforce of only 200, i space aims to expand the range of human life into space and create a sustainable world by providing low-cost, high-frequency transportation services to the Moon.

The Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron has set a new target time of 90 percent for Thursday, setting the odds of “go for launch” weather. The primary concern is about thick cloud layers, as well as a moderate risk of upper-level wind shear.