15.08.2021
Intuitive Machines (IM) has selected SpaceX to launch their third mission to the Moon. Named IM-3, the company’s Nova-C lander will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 currently targeted for the first quarter of 2024 following two Nova-C missions in 2022.
Overall, IM is one of four Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) providers preparing for robotic Moon landings as part of NASA’s Artemis program — though IM-3 is not associated with CLPS. The Artemis missions will carry scientific payloads for both NASA and other commercial customers starting in 2022 in order to prepare for crewed landings.
Intuitive Machines
The Nova-C lunar lander will have the ability to land 130 kilograms on the surface of the Moon. For IM-3, the vehicle will also have excess capacity to carry 1,000 kilograms of payload on a rideshare dispenser ring. Accommodated by the launch vehicle, the ring deploys in a lunar transfer orbit, allowing the rideshare customers to either proceed towards the Moon efficiently, redirect to a high Earth orbit, or depart for other destinations in the solar system.
“We’re offering our customers more than lunar surface payload delivery and extreme surface mobility,” said Steve Altemus, President and CEO of Intuitive Machines. “Our turnkey solution for delivering, communicating, and commanding customer payloads on and around the Moon is revolutionary. Now, we’re proving we can do it at an annual cadence.”
IM’s first CLPS mission, IM-1, is currently scheduled to launch in Q1 of 2022 and has started final assembly.
Rendering of Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander departing Earth for the Moon – via Intuitive Machines
The Nova-C landers on the IM missions are part of the CLPS program to deliver critical hardware and science for the Artemisprogram. IM-1 will likely be the first mission in the CLPS program.
Major testing began for the lander in 2020. In October of that year, IM completed Nova-C’s sea level propellant boiling testing to simulate how much boil-off would take place while in Falcon 9’s fairing. At the same time, IM started testing its engine computer controllers, the Motor Gimbal Controller (MOGI), and the Main Engine Controller (MEC). IM also completed landing gear testing.
In 2021, Nova-C’s flight components started testing and manufacturing. In February, the batteries for the lander underwent Thermal-Vacuum testing followed in April with delivery of the solar arrays for the top deck of the lander. In June, the top deck was delivered to IM to begin the final assembly of the lander.
IM-1 is currently set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from LC-39A in Q1 2022. It was originally targeting October 11, 2021 but was delayed to allow SpaceX to complete upgrades to LC-39A in order to support the lander while on the launch pad. IM-1 will launch into a super-synchronous transfer orbit of 185 km by 60,000 km at 27 degrees.
IM-1 will launch as a rideshare mission with another payload, a 40 kg CubeSat called DOGE-1 that will conduct a flyby of the Moon.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches from LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center on the Starlink v1.0 L26 mission – via Stephen Marr for NSF
Shortly after launch, Nova-C will use its own propulsion to conduct a trans-lunar injection (TLI) burn. After a six day transit from Earth to the Moon, it will conduct a lunar-orbit insertion burn. Once placed in orbit, it will attempt to land at Vallis Schröteri. Its landing site will provide 14 days of sunlight where its main instruments will conduct their science operations.
IM-2, also known as Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1), is Nova-C’s second planned mission for the CLPS program. PRIME-1 will follow a similar prelaunch assembly and testing timeline as IM-1, but its mission will be different.
Still using a Falcon 9, it will launch from LC-39A in December 2022 on a rideshare mission with a commercial communications satellite.
Instead of landing at the Vallis Schröteri, PRIME-1 will attempt to land at the lunar south pole. It will carry The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain (TRIDENT) and the Mass Spectrometer observing lunar operations (MSolo) experiments for mining operations at the south pole.
A new small, robotic, deployable lander called Micro Nova (µNova) will debut on the PRIME-1 mission to act as a “hopper.” The µNova on PRIME-1 will demonstrate its ability to carry 1 kg and travel more than 2.5 km. While conducting its hops, it will access craters and take high-resolution imagery of the lunar surface. More operational hoppers are envisioned to be able to travel 25 km with a 5 kg payload.
Rendering of Micro Nova performing a “hop” flight near a landed Nova-C – via Intuitive Machines
The Nova-C lander offers 24/7 data coverage, generates at least 200 watts of power while on the surface, and has an adaptive system to provide customers with mounting points on the lander.
The lander uses heritage from the NASA Morpheus test lander, using autonomous hazard avoidance and precision landing systems developed from that program. The Nova-C uses the VR-900 engine, which uses liquid oxygen and liquid methane as propellants.
IM is also currently developing two other landers for future missions. First is the Nova-D, using two of the VR-900 engines and carrying 500+ kg to the lunar surface. The second is Nova-M, using two VR-3500 engines originally developed for Boeing and their HLS lunar lander to carry 5,000 kg to the lunar surface.
Astrobotic
Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander has the capability to land over 100 kilograms to mid-latitudes and polar regions on the Moon. It’s first mission, named Peregrine Mission One (PM1), will launch on the debut flight of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcanrocket and will land at Lacus Mortis — a hexagonal-shaped plain of basaltic lava flows in the northeastern part of the near side of the Moon. It is currently scheduled for launch in the second half of 2022.
Render of Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander descending toward the lunar surface – via Mack Crawford for NSF/L2
Peregrine Mission One will carry more than 22 payloads from NASA, Carnegie Mellon University, the British space and robotics company Spacebit, the Mexican Space Agency, DHL, Japanese aerospace companies Dymon Co. Ltd and Astroscale, Hungarian space company Puli Space Technologies, the Arch Mission Foundation, Elysium Space, and space-burial company Celestis.
The nine NASA payloads on PM1 include experiments with regolith, solar power generation, radiation, and magnetic fields on the Moon.
The Peregrine lander was originally developed for the Google Lunar-X-Prize, and development continued in 2014 when Astrobotic was one of three companies selected for the Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown (Lunar CATALYST) initiative, intended to foster competition in delivering commercial cargo transportation capabilities to the surface of the Moon.
As NASA announced its plans to return humans to the lunar surface as a part of the Artemis program in 2017, it set up the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative in November 2018 to allow for rapid acquisition of lunar delivery services from commercial companies, with Astrobotic being one of the first nine companies announced as CLPS partners.
In addition to Peregrine, Astrobotic is also developing another lander named Griffin. It has a capability to land over 500 kg on the surface of the Moon. In June 2020, Astrobotic won the task order to deliver NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the lunar south pole in late 2023. The lander will be launched onboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavyrocket.
Masten Space Systems
Masten Space Systems is yet another company currently working on a lander for the CLPS program. The lander, known as XL-1, will deliver nine payloads to the lunar surface on its first mission, scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in November 2023.
Rendering of Masten’s XL-1 lander joined by a pair of Artemis astronauts – via Mack Crawford for NSF/L2
In July 2021, it was announced that the XL-1 would used the Airbus manufactured Sparkwing solar panels — commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solar panels available for any small spacecraft.
“The Sparkwing team has been a delight to work with,” said Alison Dufresne, lunar engineering manager at Masten Space Systems. “They provide high-quality end-to-end services including design, analysis, and testing. With their previous experiences with missions like ExoMars, Rosetta, and Galileo, we were confident that they were the right choice for our mission. Masten Mission 1 will be the first of many Masten missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.”
In July 2021, Masten announced the development of a Position and Navigation network for use while on the lunar surface. Contracted through the Air Force, Masten was awarded the Phase II SBIR contract to develop and demonstrate the network that will allow similar functionality to the GPS network used on Earth for navigation and location tracking while on the lunar surface.
Masten, in collaboration with Leidos, will develop position, navigation, and timing (PNT) beacons to be used in the harsh conditions seen in lunar orbit.
XL-1’s nine payloads will study the composition of the lunar surface, test precision landing technologies, and evaluate radiation levels on the Moon. The payloads were developed from the two recent NASA Provided Lunar Payloads (NPLP) and Lunar Surface Instrument and Technology Payloads (LSITP) solicitations.
The XL-1 is capable of taking 100 kg to the lunar surface. For its first mission, it will complete operations for at least 12 days. XL-1 will use four main engines for propulsion and descent.
The XL-1 is evolved from the Xombie and Xoie landers, also developed by Masten. With over 600 vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) flight tests under their belt, Masten is incorporating numerous lessons learned from these flights for XL-1.
Once launched, it will use its four main engines to place itself in Lunar orbit to get ready for landing. Similar to PRIME-1, it will attempt to land on the lunar surface near the south pole.
Firefly Aerospace
Firefly Aerospace’s Lunar Lander, Blue Ghost, is capable of landing more than 50 kg on the surface of the Moon. It was awarded a $93.3 million CLPS contract to deliver a suite of 10 NASA science investigations and technology demonstrations to the Moon by 2023. The lander will fly on a SpaceX Falcon 9 and then on Firefly’s own Beta launch vehicle, which is currently under development.
Render of Blue Ghost on the lunar surface – via Firefly Aerospace
The lander’s onboard scientific investigations will operate through lunar transit, orbit, and on the surface well into the freezing night to study a variety of lunar surface conditions and resources crucial for understanding the Moon’s geology.
It’ll specifically provide insight into the Lunar regolith — loose, fragmented rock and soil — properties, geophysical characteristics, and in-depth information about the interaction of solar wind with Earth’s magnetic field to help plan future human missions on the surface.
The lander will touchdown on Mare Crisium, a 482 km wide, low-lying basin on the Moon’s near side.
Quelle: NS