The spacecraft's descent is a "dynamic situation"
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Odysseus becomes first US spacecraft to land on moon in over 50 years

By Elise Hammond and Jackie Wattles, CNN

Updated 0451 GMT (1251 HKT) February 23, 2024
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5:15 p.m. ET, February 22, 2024

The spacecraft's descent is a "dynamic situation"

From CNN's Jackie Wattles

Odysseus' descent won't go exactly as Intuitive Machines previously mapped out.

"This is a dynamic situation ... We'll update you later in the broadcast," said Gary Jordan, a communication manager at NASA, on the livestream.

Jordan added that an engine burn the company chose to execute overnight eliminated the need to perform a 10-second "deorbit insertion" burn, or DOI.

The spacecraft is now expected to continue decreasing its altitude over the next hour until "the breaking burn," according to the webcast.

5:12 p.m. ET, February 22, 2024

The "Odie" livestream is underway. You'll see computer-generated graphics but no live footage from space

From CNN's Jackie Wattles

Odysseus can't offer live footage of its landing attempt. The spacecraft isn't equipped with a video recorder capable of sharing its journey.

But Intuitive Machines will be sharing computer-generated graphics that are based on data delivered directly from the robotic explorer. So while it's not a live look, what appears on the livestream should be a fairly close representation of what the spacecraft is currently doing in lunar orbit.

That is, until about 10 minutes before landing.

After that, we won't be seeing live data as Odysseus begins its perilous final descent. But, if all goes well, there should be only about a 15-second delay before flight controllers confirm whether the spacecraft made it to the surface safely, according to Intuitive Machines.

The livestream is underway and you can watch at the top of this page.

This post has been updated to reflect the livestream is underway.

4:58 p.m. ET, February 22, 2024

"Odie" spacecraft is preparing to land on the moon

From CNN's Jackie Wattles

Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 lander, also called Odysseus or “Odie,” is mere miles from the lunar surface as it aims to make history — becoming the first commercial spacecraft to soft-land on the moon.

Odysseus is expected to make first contact with the moon’s surface around 6:24 p.m. ET. The vehicle will use its methane-fueled engine on board to steer toward the surface and rapidly reduce its speed by 4,000 miles per hour (about 6,400 kilometers per hour).

Here's what will happen in space:

  • Before reaching the lunar surface, the spacecraft must complete what’s called a “descent orbit insertion” burn, or DOI. The DOI will likely happen when the lander is on the far side of the moon — out of reach of communications with IM-1’s mission control.
  • The spacecraft will operate autonomously as it uses its engine to slow down and lower its altitude, from about 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the surface to just 6 miles (10 kilometers), according to a fact sheet from the company.
  • The lander is expected to remain above the surface, coasting for about one hour, before it ignites its engine again to tilt itself upward.
  • With its landing legs and sensors pointed toward the lunar terrain, Odysseus can then autonomously locate a safe landing spot and begin “terminal descent.” By the time it touches down, the spacecraft should be traveling just 2 miles per hour (about 3 kilometers per hour).
  • Intuitive Machines expects to experience about a 15-second delay before flight controllers can confirm a safe touchdown.

“Those are the most dynamic times,” Intuitive Machines CEO told CNN in an interview earlier this month. “And those are the ones that we're going to be just on the edge of our seat.”

4:34 p.m. ET, February 22, 2024

Failure is an option

From CNN's Kristin Fisher and Jackie Wattles

The companies and governments dashing for the moon today are aiming for cheaper price points as they implement modern technology.

That's the underlying goal behind NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, or CLPS (pronounced "clips"), which sponsored Intuitive Machines and the Odysseus lander for this mission.

And the companies participating in CLPS, including Intuitive Machines, are OK with a bit of risk and imperfection, according to Greg Autry, the director of space leadership at Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management.

“(Commercial companies) brought that iterative, fail fast model with them. Get the product out there, let it blow up, figure out what you did wrong, fix it, and go again,” he said. “That is not the way the US government operates. Because if your project dies, your government career is screwed.”

For its part, even NASA acknowledges its partners may not have a 100% success rate on these early missions.

Already there are additional CLPS missions lined up for later this year:

  • Texas-based company Firefly could send its Blue Ghost lander heading for a northeast quadrant of the moon.
  • Intuitive Machines could launch its IM-2 mission, a successor to Odysseus, that will aim to drill for resources at the south pole.

That said, a successful landing today would certainly mark a welcome win for this nascent NASA program and Intuitive Machines.

4:12 p.m. ET, February 22, 2024

Why the Odysseus mission is powered by methane

From CNN's Jackie Wattles

Intuitive Machines Nova-C lunar lander is docked at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 13. 
Intuitive Machines Nova-C lunar lander is docked at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 13.  Cristobal Herrera/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Odysseus has already made a bit of history on its journey through space.

The vehicle is powered by a single engine that is fueled by liquid oxygen, or LOX, and liquid methane, which are tricky propellants because they have to remain at super-chilled temperatures.

The spacecraft is also the first to ever use those fuels while in orbit.

Last week offered some nail-biting moments when Intuitive Machines opted to delay the first attempt to ignite the engine, which was expected the afternoon of February 15, saying communications outages were impacting ground controllers' ability to collect crucial data about how this novel engine performed.

But onlookers breathed a sigh of relief the next day when Intuitive Machines confirmed the engine came to life without a hitch.

But why did the company take a chance on using these propellants for such a risky mission? Intuitive Machines cites two reasons for the choice:

  • Engines using these fuels can be much more powerful than some alternatives. They allow the spacecraft to make a quicker and more direct trip to the moon and avoid more radiation-riddled environments in space that could take a toll on the vehicle.
  • Intuitive Machines is also intrigued by the possibility that methane could be harvested in space, allowing for the possibility that its landers could be refueled on future missions, said Trent Martin, Intuitive Machines’ vice president of space systems, at a news conference.
3:35 p.m. ET, February 22, 2024

This lander has an 80% chance of success, Intuitive Machines CEO suggests

From CNN's Kristin Fisher and Jackie Wattles

Intuitive Machines, the Houston-based company that developed the Odysseus spacecraft under contract with NASA, estimates it has about an 80% chance of safely landing on the moon, according to CEO Stephen Altemus.

One advantage is that the company bore witness to some previous, failed attempts, he said.

“We’ve stood on the shoulders of everybody who’s tried before us,” said Altemus, adding that Intuitive Machines attempted to analyze the propulsion issue that plagued the Peregrine lander last month and ensured the same problem would not arise during Odysseus’ mission.

Even NASA isn't expecting a 100% success rate for these early missions, which are carried out under the space agency's Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS, initiative.

“We've always viewed these initial CLPS deliveries as being kind of a learning experience,” said Joel Kearns, the deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, during a February 13 briefing. “We knew going into this … we didn't believe that success was assured.”

4:02 p.m. ET, February 22, 2024

This is all the NASA science on board Odysseus

From CNN's Jackie Wattles

Lunar Node-1, an autonomous navigation payload that will change how human explorers safely traverse the moon’s surface and live and work in lunar orbit, was developed, built and tested at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Lunar Node-1, an autonomous navigation payload that will change how human explorers safely traverse the moon’s surface and live and work in lunar orbit, was developed, built and tested at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Intuitive Machines/NASA

Odysseus is expected to spend about seven days operating on the lunar surface before the landing site is plunged into lunar night, with cold temperatures rendering the spacecraft inoperable.

Tucked on board are six NASA science instruments, many of which were designed to collect data during Odysseus’ descent.

  • ROLSES, or the Radio Observations of the Lunar Surface Photoelectron Sheath: This instrument will seek to measure the electron plasma on the lunar surface. Its measurements could help inform how things like astronaut spacesuits are designed, according to Intuitive Machines.
  • LRA, or the Laser Retro-Reflector Array: An array of mirrors designed to reflect lasers for precise location service on the surface. This instrument could continue to be used long after the IM-1 mission concludes, serving as an aid for future missions nearby.
  • NDL, or the Navigation Doppler Lidar for Precise Velocity and Range Sensing: The NDL is an experimental technology aiming to test out how future landers can make more precise landings on the moon. It’s designed to shoot laser beams to the ground to give exact measurements of speed and direction of flight, according to Farzin Amzajerdian, NASA's principal investigator for NDL.
  • SCALPSS, or the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies: This instrument will seek to study how the lunar soil — or regolith — reacts to Odysseus’ engine during descent.
  • LN-1, or the Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator: This is a box-shaped radio navigation beacon that works with NASA’s Deep Space Network to provide a sort of GPS service.
  • RFMG, or Radio Frequency Mass Gauge statement: The RFMG will use radio waves to determine exactly how much propellant remains in the lander’s tank. It’s particularly interesting because Odysseus’ fuels must remain at super-chilled temperatures, and its findings could help inform future missions, according to Intuitive Machines. 

That's not all that's on board: "Odie" also packed art and commemorative objects for its journey.

2:52 p.m. ET, February 22, 2024

Intuitive Machines has delayed the landing attempt until a bit later this evening

From CNN's Jackie Wattles

Intuitive Machines, the Houston-based company behind the Odysseus lunar lander, has moved the projected landing time yet again.

It's now 6:24 p.m. ET, according to an update on X.

The company announced that it opted to make one more lap around the moon before making its nail-biting swoop down to the surface.

That puts the landing two hours later than Intuitive Machines had most recently shared. The company has acknowledged the exact timing would be subject to change.

A livestream of the event is now expected to start at 5 p.m. ET.

2:20 p.m. ET, February 22, 2024

India and Japan have landed robotic vehicles on the moon in the last 6 months

From CNN's Jackie Wattles

Only a handful of countries have successfully landed vehicles on the moon in the more than 50 years since the United States and the Soviet Union achieved that milestone in 1966.

China, India and Japan all reached the moon with robotic vehicles for the first time in the 21st century. India and Japan each pulled off the monumental feat just within the past six months.

Now, the US Odysseus lunar lander, nicknamed “Odie” or IM-1, will attempt to land on the moon on Thursday.

Here is where India's Chandrayaan-3 (2) and Japan's SLIM (3) landed compared to where Odie is heading: