SpaceX postpones the launch of the moon landing probe until Thursday (15) | innovation

North American companies Intuitive Machines and SpaceX postponed sending a rocket with a module to land on the moon. The mission was scheduled for Wednesday (14), but the two companies will make a new attempt on Thursday (15).

Liftoff was scheduled for 0:57 a.m. on Wednesday in Florida (2:57 a.m. Brasilia time), but NASA announced the postponement after discovering “methane temperatures were below normal prior to the methane payload insertion.”

The US space agency added on the social media network

The IM-1 mission intends to send a The landing module is more than four meters high, developed by Intuitive MachinesIt is based in Texas and was founded in 2013.

Hey The device should be launched on a rocket SpaceX Kennedy Space Center Falcon 9in Florida, southeastern United States.

Shortly after liftoff, the lander must separate from the rocket's upper stage and receive power. You must then establish a connection with the Intuitive Machines control room, located in Houston, Texas.

“This is a pivotal moment for space exploration, with private companies playing an increasingly vital role,” Intuitive Machines said.

This is the company's first attempt to carry out a lunar mission, but it is the second under NASA's new CLPS program, which has used private companies to transport scientific equipment to a natural satellite, with the aim of preparing for the return of astronauts to the moon.

NASA bears the risk of failure of the missions assigned to startups, and stresses that it realizes that not all of them will be successful.

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