SpaceX Rocket Launch From Florida Of IM-1 Moon Mission
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| Credit: SpaceX |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida – The Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission is set to lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 1:05 a.m. EST on Thursday, February 15, 2024, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
SpaceX tweeted that the launch time was pushed back from Tuesday, February 13, 2024, due to off-nominal methane temperatures prior to stepping into methane load.
Launch Weather 90% ‘GO’
According to the latest forecast from the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron, there is a 90% chance of favorable weather for launch.
The primary weather concern is the Thick Cloud Layer rule.
Watch SpaceX Rocket Launch Live
A live webcast of Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission will begin about 45 minutes prior to liftoff on NASA's YouTube channel.
IM-1 Payload
The Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission is the Company’s first attempted lunar landing as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services 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 human missions and a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.
Ground Landing
Following stage separation, the first stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 will land on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Standing down from tonight’s attempt due to off-nominal methane temperatures prior to stepping into methane load. Now targeting Thursday, February 15 at 1:05 a.m. ET for Falcon 9's launch of the @Int_Machines IM-1 mission from Florida → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 14, 2024
