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SpaceX launched the Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission to lunar transfer orbit on Thursday, February 15, at 1:05 a.m. ET. The launch took place from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking a significant step in NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration efforts.

Liftoff of IM-1! pic.twitter.com/Knl3Y1sGo2

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 15, 2024

Intuitive Machines, Inc. is a space exploration, infrastructure, and services company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The IM-1 mission’s objective is to deliver the Nova-C class lunar lander to the Moon’s surface. Shortly after launch, the lunar lander was successfully deployed into space, establishing a stable attitude, enabling solar charging, and establishing radio communications with the Intuitive Machines mission operations center in Houston.

The IM-1 mission utilized SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, with the first-stage booster identified as B1060-18. This booster had previously supported 17 other missions, including launches for GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2, Intelsat G-33/G-34, Transporter-6, and 12 Starlink missions. As of the mission date, SpaceX has achieved a historic milestone, with a total of 309 launches, 273 successful orbital-class rocket landings, and the reuse of recovered boosters 244 times.

Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on Landing Zone 1 – completing this booster’s 18th launch and landing pic.twitter.com/p0Kg6AQ9mw

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 15, 2024

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The IM-1 Nova-C lunar lander reached its intended orbit approximately 48 minutes after deployment. The spacecraft is now autonomously navigating towards the Moon’s South Pole, carrying various science and technology payloads as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. SpaceX shared a video of Nova-C’s deployment, shown below.

SpaceX expressed its commitment to advancing humanity’s exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond through the NASA program. “Today’s mission to the Moon is just the first our Falcon fleet will launch for NASA’s CLPS program, which will help enable humanity to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond, bringing us one step closer to making life multiplanetary,” stated SpaceX.

Deployment of @Int_Machines IM-1 confirmed pic.twitter.com/daPrWFkVng

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 15, 2024

Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, acknowledged the mission’s challenges ahead but emphasized the historic opportunity at hand. “We are keenly aware of the immense challenges that lie ahead. However, it is precisely in facing these challenges head-on that we recognize the magnitude of the opportunity before us: to softly return the United States to the surface of the Moon for the first time in 52 years,” said Altemus.

The IM-1 mission is Intuitive Machines’ first attempted lunar landing and represents a crucial milestone in NASA’s CLPS initiative. The payloads on board aim to lay the foundation for future human missions and the establishment of a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. “Today’s Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission will provide insights into the lunar surface environment paving the way for Starship’s Human Landing System putting the first NASA Artemis astronauts on the Moon,” said SpaceX representatives.

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