Astronomy and Space

Intuitive Machines Nova-C

The Intuitive Machines Nova-C, or simply Nova-C, is a class of lunar landers designed by Intuitive Machines (IM) to deliver small payloads to the lunar surface. It is the first spacecraft to use methalox propulsion to navigate between the Earth and the Moon. The first Nova-C, named Odysseus, was launched for the IM-1 mission on 15 February 2024 and landed on the lunar surface on 22 February. This was the first American spacecraft to perform a soft landing on the Moon in over 50 years. Athena, the second Nova-C lander, was launched on 27 February 2025 for the IM-2 mission. It carried the Micro-Nova Gracie and other rovers and payloads. A third Nova-C will conduct the IM-3 mission, scheduled for the second half of 2026. SpaceX is under contract to provide Falcon 9 launches for each of the three landers.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸Conamara Chaos
• ▸Chromatic aberration
• ▸Ice giant

Uncatalogued shelf

Text from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.