In a recent announcement, Intuitive Machines disclosed that it is rescheduling the launch date for its inaugural lunar lander to mid-February. The Houston-based company cited the adjustment as a result of unfavorable weather conditions impacting SpaceX’s launch schedule.
Originally slated for January 12-16, the new launch target, set a month later, is driven by the specific mission profile of Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C spacecraft. The lunar landing near the south pole necessitates particular lighting conditions available only a few days each month.
Compounding the delay is the constraint of launch infrastructure availability. The Nova-C must lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A, the sole pad equipped for fueling with oxygen and methane propellants, requiring this specific setup.
While the initial launch window would have led to a lunar touchdown around January 19, Intuitive Machines did not specify the revised window. Coincidentally, it may align with the planned landing of another privately developed lunar lander, Astrobotic’s Peregrine, targeting a February 23 touchdown.
Both landers are part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, designed to engage commercial entities for scientific payload delivery to the moon. Nova-C carries six NASA payloads on its first mission, with additional CLPS contracts for lunar cargo delivery.
Despite the minor delay, Intuitive Machines remains committed to lunar access as a core aspect of its business. The company’s revenue projections indicate a focus on lunar services, expecting to generate $279 million in revenue next year. Intuitive Machines is also diversifying its business segments, venturing into orbital services, moon-related data services, and the sale of various space products.