The lunar lander from Intuitive Machines is making good progress on its trip to the moon after a successful launch on Thursday. It has captured quite a few extraordinary photos of Earth while still in close proximity. The initial batch of images from the IM-1 mission has been displayed on X, after an earlier confirmation that the spacecraft is in peak condition. In addition to Earth’s view, there are also some partial selfies of the Nova-C lander, or Odysseus. The photos also show the SpaceX Falcon 9 second stage receding in the background after separation.
On February 16, 2024, Intuitive Machines successfully relayed the first IM-1 mission photos back to Earth. The photos were taken shortly after detaching from @SpaceX‘s second stage during Intuitive Machines’ maiden voyage to the moon under the @NASA‘s CLPS program. pic.twitter.com/9LccL6q5tF— Intuitive Machines (@Int_Machines) February 17, 2024
Odysseus is set to attempt its moon landing on February 22 and it seems to be working adequately so far. A series of updates were shared on X at the week’s close, confirming that the lander has surpassed several key stages on the way to its landing, including engine ignition. This ignition represents the first in-space launch of a liquid methane and liquid oxygen engine, as stated by Intuitive Machines.
