Innovative Moon Lander by Intuitive Machines: Advancing Space Exploration with Revolutionary Rocket Propulsion at a Reduced Cost
![Intuitive Machines Odysseus Descending 1](https://techgroundnews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/intuitive-machines-odysseus-descending-1-768x576.jpeg)
Intuitive Machines’ first lunar lander officially lost power today after spending seven days on the moon.
That propulsion system, which uses a combination of cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid methane, could unlock new capabilities in space and de-risk future missions by other commercial providers.
Before Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission, no lander had ever used this combination of propellants.
After the successful launch, Intuitive Machines’ also ran into a brief issue chilling the liquid oxygen feed line, which took longer than anticipated.
Two VR900 engines will also be used on Intuitive Machines’ much larger “Nova-D” spacecraft, to deliver 500-750 kilograms of payload to the moon.