Spacewatch: IM-1 mission takes aim at moon's Ocean of Storms

Intuitive Machines announces its Nova-C lander will target touchdown near Vallis Schriteri

The Houston-based company Intuitive Machines has announced the intended touchdown site for its Nova-C lunar lander. The IM-1 mission is due to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in October 2021. It will land near Vallis Schriteri, a collapsed lava tunnel in the Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms) region of the moon. This is a site that was initially considered by Nasa in the late 1960s/early 70s for its subsequently cancelled Apollo 18 mission.

The Nova-C will deliver commercial cargo and five Nasa-provided payloads to the lunar surface. It can carry 100kg of payload and generate 200 watts of power. It will also test a precision landing and hazard avoidance (PLHA) landing system, created by Intuitive Machines, that aims to be able to land within 200 metres of a designated spot.