Paul Byrne
@ThePlanetaryGuy
Associate Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Science at Washington University in St. Louis • Planetary Evangelist • he/him/Sir • 🇮🇪 in 🇺🇸
ID:975735690498596864
http://tinyurl.com/ThePlanetaryGuy 19-03-2018 14:08:11
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If all goes according to plan, the Intuitive Machines IM-1 Nova-C lander will touch down at the spot right in the very centre of this scene.
Our blue marble, seen by the Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander shortly after separating from its SpaceX launch vehicle as it starts its journey to the Moon.
Landing scheduled for this coming Thursday.
In 5 days, the Intuitive Machines' IM-1 lander will attempt to land near the south pole of the Moon.
Previous work by Paul Byrne and myself suggests that the landing site (red star) will be perched on the remnants of the South Pole–Aitken basin's third ring.
Our blue marble, seen by the Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander shortly after separating from its SpaceX launch vehicle as it starts its journey to the Moon.
Landing scheduled for this coming Thursday.
121.6 grams.
This is what *decades* of future asteroid sample science research looks like.
121.6 g is the total mass of material returned to Earth by the NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. They needed 60 g.
Mission accomplished.
121.6 grams.
This is what *decades* of future asteroid sample science research looks like.
121.6 g is the total mass of material returned to Earth by the NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. They needed 60 g.
Mission accomplished.
OK, see that thing on the right?
That's the Intuitive Machines Nova-C spacecraft.
It just launched from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A.
And, if all goes well, it will be the first U.S. lander to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.