HOUSTON, Dec. 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intuitive Machines, Inc. (Nasdaq: LUNR, LUNRW) (“Intuitive Machines”) (“Company”), a leading space exploration, infrastructure, and services company, has announced the successful delivery of its IM-1 mission Nova-C lunar lander to Cape Canaveral, Florida.
“Reaching this tremendous milestone has built a four-year foundation of technical excellence earned through challenges, failures, and triumph; I’m so proud of this team leading the United States back to the Moon,” said Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus. “The opportunity to deliver the first of three manifested lunar landers with NASA and commercial payloads is an incredible moment for the entire commercial aerospace industry, and I’m looking forward to this launch as well as our subsequent missions in the near future.”
In coordination with SpaceX, the liftoff of the IM-1 lunar mission is targeted for a multi-day launch window that opens no earlier than January 12, 2024. In case of unfavorable launch conditions, such as poor weather, backup opportunities will be determined based on the lunar blackout window and other factors.
Figure 1: Intuitive Machines engineers loading the IM-1 mission Nova-C lunar lander into its custom container in Houston, TX.
The Company’s IM-1 mission will be operated from Intuitive Machines’ Nova Control Center in Houston, Texas. There, flight controllers will monitor spacecraft health, send commands, and receive data during the lander’s approximate six-and-a-half-day journey to the lunar surface using the Company’s commercially available Lunar Data Network. After landing, Intuitive Machines and its customers expect Nova-C to operate in the lunar south pole region for nearly two weeks.
As previously announced, Intuitive Machines completed the IM-1 lunar lander in September at the Company’s Lunar Production and Operations Center located at the Houston Spaceport. In late November, the lander was loaded into a custom-designed air ride ground transport system and delivered to Cape Canaveral, Florida.
IM-1 will be the Company’s first of three manifested attempted lunar landings as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (“CLPS”) initiative, a key part of NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration efforts. The science and technology payloads sent to the Moon’s surface as part of CLPS intend to lay the foundation for a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface and the commercial development of the Moon.
About Intuitive Machines
Intuitive Machines is a diversified space company focused on space exploration. Intuitive Machines supplies space products and services to support sustained robotic and human exploration to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Intuitive Machines’ products and services are offered through its four business units: Lunar Access Services, Orbital Services, Lunar Data Services, and Space Products and Infrastructure. For more information, please visit intuitivemachines.com.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “strive,” “would,” but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements regarding: our expectations and plans relating to our first mission to the Moon, including the expected timing of launch for our first mission. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s expectations based upon currently available information and data. Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The factors detailed under the section titled Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, the section titled Part I, Item 2, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and the section titled Part II. Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements in this press release, which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investors section of our website at www.investors.intuitivemachines.com.
These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release and current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks, and uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7ace2cd3-0490-4181-99f2-ee782c1f4a78
