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By NASA
On Aug. 28, 2009, space shuttle Discovery began its 37th trip into space. The 17A mission to the International Space Station was the 30th shuttle flight to the orbiting lab. During the 14-day mission, the seven-member STS-128 crew worked with Expedition 20, the first six-person crew aboard the station, during nine days of docked operations. In addition to completing a one-for-one long-duration crew member exchange, they delivered more than seven tons of supplies, including three new payload racks and three systems to maintain a six-person crew aboard the space station. They completed three spacewalks to perform maintenance on the facility, prepare the station for the arrival of the next module, and retrieve two science experiments for return to Earth.
Left: The STS-128 crew patch. Middle: Official photograph of the STS-128 crew of José M. Hernández, left, Kevin A. Ford, John D. “Danny” Olivas, Nicole P. Stott, A. Christer Fuglesang of Sweden representing the European Space Agency, Frederick “Rick” W. Sturckow, and Patrick G. Forrester. Right: The 17A mission patch.
The seven-person STS-128 crew consisted of Commander Frederick “Rick” W. Sturckow, Pilot Kevin A. Ford, and Mission Specialists Patrick G. Forrester, José M. Hernández, John D. “Danny” Olivas, and A. Christer Fuglesang of Sweden representing the European Space Agency (ESA), and Nicole P. Stott. Primary objectives of the mission included the launch to the station of facilities required to maintain a permanent six-person crew and the exchange of Stott for Timothy L. Kopra who had been aboard the space station since July 2009 as a member of Expedition 20. The facilities, launched inside the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), included an additional Crew Quarters, the T2 COLBERT treadmill, and an Air Revitalization System rack. Three payload racks – the Materials Science Research Rack, the Fluids Integrated Rack, and the second Minus Eighty-degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS – also rode inside the MPLM for transfer to the station to expand its research capabilities.
Left: The STS-128 crew at the conclusion of the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Middle: Space shuttle Discovery during the rollout to Launch Pad 39A. Right: The Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module in Discovery’s payload bay at Launch Pad 39A.
Discovery returned from its previous mission, STS-119, on March 28, 2009, and workers towed it to the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The orbiter rolled over to the Vehicle Assembly Building on July 26, and after mating with its external tank and twin solid rocket boosters, rolled out to Launch Pad 39A on Aug. 4, targeting Aug. 25 for launch. Three days later, the seven-member crew participated in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, essentially a dress rehearsal of the actual countdown for launch, returned to Houston for final training. They arrived at KSC on Aug 19 to prepare for launch.
Left: Liftoff of space shuttle Discovery on STS-128. Right: Discovery streaks into the night sky.
Clouds and lighting in the launch area forced a scrub of the first launch attempt on Aug. 25, while a faulty valve indicator scrubbed the next day’s attempt. On Aug. 28, at 11:59 p.m. EDT, space shuttle Discovery lifted off from Launch Pad 39A to begin its 37th trip into space, carrying its seven-member crew on the 17A space station outfitting and resupply mission. Eight and a half minutes later, Discovery and its crew had reached orbit. This marked Sturckow’s fourth time in space, Forrester’s third, Olivas’ and Fuglesang’s second, while Ford, Hernández, and Stott enjoyed their first taste of weightlessness.
First time space flyers Kevin A. Ford, left, José M. Hernández, and Nicole P. Stott enjoying the first few minutes of weightlessness shortly after reaching orbit.
After reaching orbit, the crew opened the payload bay doors and deployed the shuttle’s radiators, and removed their bulky launch and entry suits, stowing them for the remainder of the flight. The astronauts spent five hours on their second day in space conducting a detailed inspection of Discovery’s nose cap and wing leading edges, with Ford, Forrester, and Hernández taking turns operating the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS), or robotic arm, and the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS).
Left: Frederick “Rick” W. Sturckow, left, and Kevin A. Ford perform maneuvers for the rendezvous with the space station. Middle: Discovery as seen from the space station during the rendezvous. Right: The space station as seen from Discovery during the rendezvous.
On the mission’s third day, Sturckow assisted by his crewmates brought Discovery in for a docking with the space station. The docking occurred on the 25th anniversary of Discovery’s first launch on the STS-41D mission on Aug. 30, 1984. During the rendezvous, Sturckow stopped the approach at 600 feet and completed the Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver so astronauts aboard the station could photograph Discovery’s underside to look for any damage to the tiles. Shortly after docking, the crews opened the hatches between the two spacecraft and the six-person station crew welcomed the seven-member shuttle crew. After exchanging Soyuz spacesuits and seat liners, Stott joined the Expedition 20 crew and Kopra the STS-128 crew.
Left: Transfer of Timothy L. Kopra’s Soyuz seat liner and spacesuit from the space station to the space shuttle makes him an STS-128 crew member for return to Earth. Middle:Kevin A. Ford, left, and Michael R. Barratt operate the station’s robotic arm to transfer the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) from the shuttle payload bay to the space station. Right: The MPLM approaches the Node 2 nadir berthing port.
Left: Frank DeWinne, left, and A. Christer Fuglesang, both of the European Space Agency, open the hatch to the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Middle: José M. Hernández inside the MPLM to monitor transfer operations. Right: DeWinne, left, and Fuglesang begin the transfer of the T2 COLBERT treadmill from the MPLM to the space station.
The day after docking, Ford and Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Michael R. Barrrat used the space station’s robotic arm to grapple the MPLM in the shuttle’s payload bay. They transferred it to the station, berthing it at the Harmony Node 2 module’s nadir port. The crew activated the MPLM and Fuglesang and Expedition 20 Commander Frank L. DeWinne of Belgium representing ESA opened the hatches, enabling the start of cargo transfers.
Left: During the first spacewalk, John D. “Danny” Olivas, left, and Nicole P. Stott remove the EuTEF experiment from the Columbus module. Middle left: Stott rides the station robotic arm carrying the EuTEF experiment, with the removed Ammonia Tank Assembly attached to it. Middle right: An open MISSE container showing the various exposure samples. Right: Stott carrying one of the two closed MISSE containers.
During the mission’s first spacewalk on flight day five, Olivas and Stott first removed a used Ammonia Tank Assembly (ATA) from the P1 truss segment. With Ford and Expedition 20 Flight Engineer Robert B. Thirsk of the Canadian Space Agency operating the space station’s robotic arm, they moved Stott to the end of the Columbus module, where she and Olivas removed the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF) science payload. Ford and Thirsk translated Stott to the shuttle’s payload bay where she and Olivas stowed it for return to Earth. The pair returned to Columbus to close and retrieve the two Materials on International Space Station Experiments (MISSE) and stowed them in the payload bay for return. This first spacewalk lasted 6 hours 35 minutes. Meanwhile, other crew members busied themselves with transferring racks and cargo from the MPLM to the space station.
Left: A. Christer Fugelsang of the European Space Agency shows off his installation of the Air Revitalization System rack in the Kibo module. Middle: Patrick G. Forrester with three bags during cargo transfer operations. Right: During handover operations, outgoing space station crew member Timothy L. Kopra, middle, shows incoming crew member Nicole P. Stott how to give a proper haircut in space.
Left: Frederick “Rick” W. Sturckow, left, and Patrick G. Forrester seen through an overhead window. Middle: During the mission’s second spacewalk, A. Christer Fuglesang carries both the old and the new Ammonia Tank Assemblies (ATA) on the end of the space station robotic arm. Right: Fuglesang stowing the old ATA in the shuttle’s payload bay.
Cargo transfers continued throughout flight day six, including the three payload racks. On flight day seven, Olivas and Fuglesang conducted the mission’s second spacewalk, lasting 6 hours 39 minutes. They completed the swap out of the ATA, with Fuglesang riding the station arm carrying both the old and the new units, before they installed the new unit on the P1 truss, and then returned with the old unit to stow it in the payload bay.
Left: John D. “Danny” Olivas works in the shuttle’s payload bay during the mission’s third spacewalk. Right: Olivas, left, and A. Christer Fuglesang work on the space station truss.
With cargo transfers continuing on flight day eight, the next day Olivas and Fuglesang stepped outside for the mission’s third and final spacewalk. They completed a variety of tasks, including routing cables to accommodate the Tranquility Node 3 module scheduled to arrive on a future space shuttle flight, and installing GPS antennas on the S0 truss. This spacewalk lasted 7 hours 1 minute, bringing the total spacewalking time for STS-128 to 20 hours 15 minutes. The crew enjoyed a well-deserved off-duty day on flight day 10.
Left: Astronauts robotically stow the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) back in Discovery’s payload bay. Right: A. Christer Fuglesang, left, and Nicole P. Stott operate the space station’s robotic arm to stow the MPLM in the payload bay.
The astronauts completed the final transfers on Sept. 8, the mission’s 11th flight day, they deactivated the MPLM, and closed its hatch. Operating the space station’s robotic arm, Stott and Fuglesang transferred the MPLM from the station back to the shuttle’s payload bay. On Sept. 10, the next vehicle to occupy that port, the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle-1 (HTV-1), launched from the Tanegashima Space Center, arriving at the station one week later.
Left: The 13 members of Expedition 20, blue shirts, and STS-128, red shirts, pose for a final photograph before saying their farewells. Right: Four members of the astronaut class of 2000 in space together.
Left: Kevin A. Ford pilots Discovery for the undocking and flyaround. Right: The space station seen from Discovery during the flyaround.
That same day, they held a brief farewell ceremony, parted company, and closed the hatches between the two spacecraft. The next day, with Ford at the controls, Discovery undocked from the space station, having spent nine days as a single spacecraft. Ford completed a flyaround of the station, with the astronauts photographing it to document its condition. A final separation burn sent Discovery on its way. Ford, Forrester, and Hernández used the shuttle’s arm to pick up the OBSS and perform a late inspection of Discovery’s thermal protection system. On flight day 13, Sturckow and Ford tested Discovery’s reaction control system thrusters and flight control surfaces in preparation for the next day’s entry and landing. The entire crew busied themselves with stowing all unneeded equipment. Bad weather at KSC delayed the landing by a day, and more bad weather diverted the landing to Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Left: Discovery touches down at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Middle: The Crew Transport Vehicle has approached Discovery to enable the astronauts to exit the vehicle. Right: Discovery atop its Shuttle Carrier Aircraft departs Edwards for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Left: Six of the STS-128 astronauts pose with Discovery on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Right: The welcome home ceremony for the STS-128 crew at Ellington Field in Houston.
On Sept. 11, the astronauts closed Discovery’s payload bay doors, donned their launch and entry suits, and strapped themselves into their seats, a special recumbent one for Kopra who had spent the last two months in weightlessness. Sturckow fired Discovery’s two Orbital Maneuvering System engines to bring them out of orbit and head for a landing half an orbit later. He guided Discovery to a smooth touchdown at Edwards, as it turned out the final space shuttle landing at the California facility. The landing capped off a very successful STS-128 mission of 13 days, 20 hours, 54 minutes. They orbited the planet 219 times. Kopra spent 58 days, 2 hours, 50 minutes in space, completing 920 orbits of the Earth. Workers placed Discovery atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, to ferry it back to KSC where it landed on Sept. 21. Engineers began preparing it for its next flight, STS-131 in April 2010.
Enjoy the crew narrate a video about the STS-128 mission.
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Discovery Alert: With Six New Worlds, 5,500 Discovery Milestone Passed!
NASA’s Exoplanet Archive confirmed four new worlds, bringing the total past 5,500. On Aug. 24, 2023, more than three decades after the first confirmation of planets beyond our own solar system, scientists announced the discovery of six new exoplanets, stretching that number to 5,502. From zero exoplanet confirmations to over 5,500 in just a few decades, this new milestone marks another major step in the journey to understand the worlds beyond our solar system.
The Discovery
With the discovery of six new exoplanets, scientists have tipped the scales and surpassed 5,500 exoplanets found (there are now 5,502 known exoplanets, to be exact).
Just about 31 years ago, in 1992, the first exoplanets were confirmed when scientists detected twin planets Poltergeist and Phobetor orbiting the pulsar PSR B1257+12. In March 2022, just last year, scientists celebrated passing 5,000 exoplanets discovered.
Key Facts
Scientists have discovered six new exoplanets — HD 36384 b, TOI-198 b, TOI-2095 b, TOI-2095 c, TOI-4860 b, and MWC 758 c — this has pushed the total number of confirmed exoplanets discovered to 5,502.
Details
HD 36384 b is a super-Jupiter that orbits an enormous M giant star.
This planet was discovered using the radial velocity method, which measures the “wobble” of far-off stars that is caused by the gravitational tug of orbiting planets. Orbits a star so large that it clocks in at nearly 40 times the size of our Sun. TOI-198 b is a potentially rocky planet that orbits on the innermost edge of the habitable zone around its star, an M dwarf.
This planet was discovered using the transit method, which detects exoplanets as they cross the face of their stars in their orbit, causing the star to temporarily dim. TOI-2095 b and TOI-2095 c are both large, hot super-Earths that orbit in the same system around a shared star, an M dwarf.
Planets were both discovered using the transit method. Are close enough to their star that they are likely more similar to Venus than Earth. TOI-4860 b is a Jupiter-sized gas giant, or a “hot Jupiter,” that orbits an M dwarf star.
This planet was discovered using the transit method. Completes an orbit every 1.52 days, meaning it is very close to its star. While it is extremely rare for giant planets like this to orbit so closely to Sun-like stars, it is even rarer for them to orbit M-dwarf stars as is the case here. MWC 758 c is a giant protoplanet that orbits a very young star. This star still has its protoplanetary disk, which is a rotating disc of gas and dust that can surround a young star.
This planet was discovered using direct imaging. Was found carving spiral arms into its star’s protoplanetary disk. Is one of the first exoplanets discovered in a system where the star has a protoplanetary disk. The field of exoplanet science has exploded since the first exoplanet confirmation in 1992, and with evolving technology, the future for this field looks brighter than ever.
In March 2022, NASA passed 5,000 confirmed exoplanets. Tis data sonification allows us to hear the pace of the discovery of those worlds. In this animation, exoplanets are represented by musical notes played across decades of discovery. Circles show location and size of orbit, while their color indicates the detection method. Lower notes mean longer orbits, higher notes mean shorter orbits. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/M. Russo, A. Santaguida (SYSTEM Sounds) Watch this video in 3D There are a number of both space and ground-based instruments and observatories that scientists have used to detect and study exoplanets.
NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) launched in 2018 and has identified thousands of exoplanet candidates and confirmed over 320 planets.
NASA’s flagship space telescopes Spitzer, Hubble, and most recently the James Webb Space Telescope have also been used to discover and study exoplanets.
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to launch in May 2027. Roman will be carrying a technology demonstration called the Roman Coronagraph Instrument. This coronagraph will work by using a series of complex masks and mirrors to distort the light coming from far-away stars. By distorting this starlight, the instrument will reveal and directly-image hidden exoplanets.
With the success of the Roman Coronagraph Instrument, NASA could push the envelope even further with is a concept for the mission the Habitable Worlds Observatory, which would search for “signatures of life on planets outside of our solar system,” according to the 2020 Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics.
The Discoverers
These six exoplanets were discovered by different teams as part of five separate studies:
TOI-4860 b TOI-2095 b & c HD 36384 b TOI-198 b MWC 758 c Share
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Last Updated Jul 16, 2024 Related Terms
Exoplanet Discoveries Exoplanet Exploration Program Exoplanets Gas Giant Exoplanets Studying Exoplanets Super-Earth Exoplanets Terrestrial Exoplanets Explore More
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5 Min Read Six Adapters for Crewed Artemis Flights Tested, Built at NASA Marshall
Six adapters for the next of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rockets for Artemis II through Artemis IV are currently at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. Engineers are analyzing data and applying lessons learned from extensive in-house testing and the successful uncrewed Artemis I test flight to improve future iterations of the rocket. Credits: NASA/Sam Lott As a child learning about basic engineering, you probably tried and failed to join a square-shaped toy with a circular-shaped toy: you needed a third shape to act as an adapter and connect them both together. On a much larger scale, integration of NASA’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and the Orion spacecraft for the agency’s Artemis campaign would not be possible without the adapters being built, tested, and refined at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Marshall is currently home to six adapters designed to connect SLS’s upper stages with the core stages and propulsion systems for future Artemis flights to the Moon.
Preparing Block 1 Adapters for Upcoming Crewed Flights
The first three Artemis flights use the SLS Block 1 rocket variant, which can send more than 27 metric tons (59,500 pounds) to the Moon in a single launch with the assistance of the interim cryogenic propulsion stage. The propulsion stage is sandwiched between two adapters: the launch vehicle stage adapter and the Orion stage adapter.
The cone-shaped launch vehicle stage adapter provides structural strength and protects the rocket’s flight computers and other delicate systems from acoustic, thermal, and vibration effects.
“The inside of the launch vehicle stage adapter for the SLS rocket uses orthogrid machining – also known as waffle pattern machining,” said Keith Higginbotham, launch vehicle stage adapter hardware manager supporting the SLS Spacecraft/Payload Integration & Evolution Office at Marshall. “The aluminum alloy plus the grid pattern is lightweight but also very strong.”
The launch vehicle stage adapter for Artemis II is at Marshall and ready for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, while engineering teams are completing outfitting and integration work on the launch vehicle stage adapter for Artemis III. These cone-shaped adapters differ from their Artemis I counterpart, featuring additional avionics protection for crew safety.
Just a few buildings over, the Orion stage adapter for Artemis II, with its unique docking target that mimics the target on the interim cryogenic propulsion stage to test Orion’s handling during the piloting demonstration test, is in final outfitting prior to shipment to Kennedy for launch preparations. The five-foot-tall, ring-shaped adapter is small but mighty: in addition to having space to accommodate small secondary payloads, it contains a diaphragm that acts as a barrier to prevent gases generated during launch from entering Orion.
The Artemis III Orion stage adapter’s major structure is complete and its avionics unit and diaphragm will be installed later this year.
Following the first flight of SLS with Artemis I, technicians adjusted their approach to assembling the launch vehicle stage adapter by introducing the use of a rounding tool to ensure that no unintended forces are placed on the hardware.NASA/Sam Lott The Orion stage adapter is complete at Marshall, including welding, painting, and installation of the secondary payload brackets, cables, and avionics unit. The adapter is protected by a special conductive paint that prevents electric arcing in space. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch viewed the hardware during a Nov. 27 visit to Marshall.NASA/Charles Beason SLS Block 1B’s payload adapter is an evolution from the Orion stage adapter used in the Block 1 configuration, but each will be unique and customized to fit individual mission needs. “Both the Orion stage adapter and the payload adapter are being assembled in the same room at Marshall,” said Brent Gaddes, lead for the Orion stage adapter in the Spacecraft/Payload Integration & Evolution Office at Marshall. “So, there’s a lot of cross-pollination between teams.”NASA/Sam Lott Unlike the flight hardware, the universal stage adapter’s development test article has flaws intentionally included in its design to test if fracture toughness predictions are correct. Technicians are incorporating changes for the next test article, including alterations to the vehicle damping system mitigating vibrations on the launch pad.NASA/Brandon Hancock Block 1B Adapters Support Bolder Missions
Beginning with Artemis IV, a new configuration of SLS, the SLS Block 1B, will use the new, more powerful exploration upper stage to enable more ambitious missions to deep space. The new stage requires new adapters.
The cone-shaped payload adapter – containing two aluminum rings and eight composite panels made from a graphite epoxy material – will be housed inside the universal stage adapter atop the rocket’s exploration upper stage.
The payload adapter test article is being twisted, shaken, and placed under extreme pressure to check its structural strength as part of testing at Marshall. Engineers are making minor changes to the design of the flight article, such as the removal of certain vent holes, based on the latest analyses.
The sixth adapter at Marshall is a development test article of the universal stage adapter, which will be the largest composite structure from human spaceflight missions ever flown at 27.5 feet in diameter and 32 feet long. It is currently undergoing modal and structural testing to ensure it is light, strong, and ready to connect SLS Block 1B’s exploration upper stage to Orion.
“Every pound of structure is equal to a pound of payload,” says Tom Krivanek, universal stage adapter sub-element project manager at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Glenn manages the adapter for the agency. “That’s why it’s so valuable that the universal stage adapter be as light as possible. The universal stage adapter separates after the translunar insertion, so NASA will need to demonstrate the ability to separate cleanly in orbit in very cold conditions.”
The Future of Marshall Is Innovation
With its multipurpose testing equipment, innovative manufacturing processes, and large-scale integration facilities, Marshall facilities and capabilities enable teams to process composite hardware elements for multiple Artemis missions in parallel, providing for cost and schedule savings.
Lessons learned from testing and manufacturing hardware for the first three SLS flights in the Block 1 configuration have aided in designing and integrating the SLS Block 1B configuration.
“NASA learns with every iteration we build. Even if you have a room full of smart people trying to foresee everything in the future, production is different from development. It’s why NASA builds test articles and doesn’t just start with the flight article as the first piece of hardware.”
Brent Gaddes
Lead for the Orion stage adapter in the Spacecraft/Payload Integration and Evolution Office
Both adapters for the SLS Block 1 are manufactured using friction stir welding in Marshall’s Materials and Processes Laboratory, a process that very reliably produces materials that are typically free of flaws.
Pioneering techniques such as determinant assembly and digital tooling ensure an efficient and uniform manufacturing process and save NASA and its partners money and time when building Block 1B’s payload adapter. Structured light scanning maps each panel and ring individually to create a digital model informing technicians where holes should be drilled.
“Once the holes are put in with a hand drill located by structured light, it’s simply a matter of holding the pieces together and dropping fasteners in place,” Gaddes said. “It’s kind of like an erector set.”
From erector sets to the Moon and beyond – the principles of engineering are the same no matter what you are building.
NASA is working to land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, supporting ground systems, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.
News Media Contact
Corinne Beckinger
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256.544.0034
corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov
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By NASA
The Nova-C lunar lander is seen in the high bay of Intuitive Machines Headquarters in Houston, before it shipped to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for integration with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for launch as part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign.Credit: Intuitive Machines NASA is gearing up for a commercial robotic flight to the Moon under the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign. Intuitive Machines will launch its Nova-C lander on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than Wednesday, Feb. 14, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission will carry six NASA payloads targeted for the South Polar region.
The group of NASA instruments aboard IM-1 will conduct scientific research and demonstrate technologies to help us better understand the Moon’s environment and improve landing precision and safety in the challenging conditions of the lunar south polar region, paving the way for future Artemis astronaut missions. The payloads will collect data on how the plume of engine gasses interacts with the Moon’s surface and kicks up lunar dust, investigate radio astronomy and space weather interactions with the lunar surface, test precision landing technologies, and measure the quantity of liquid propellant in Nova-C propellant tanks in the zero gravity of space. The Nova-C lander will also carry a retroreflector array that will contribute to a network of location markers on the Moon that will be used as a position marker for decades to come
The Nova-C lander is targeted to land Thursday, Feb. 22, in a relatively flat and safe area near the Malapert A crater, in the south polar region of the Moon.
The six NASA payloads aboard Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission include:
LN-1 (Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator)
A small, CubeSat-sized flight hardware experiment that integrates navigation and communication functionality for autonomous navigation to support future surface and orbital operations. Principal investigator: Dr. Evan Anzalone, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array)
A collection of eight retroreflectors that enable precision laser ranging, which is a measurement of the distance between an orbiting or landing spacecraft to the reflector on the lander. LRA is a passive optical instrument and will function as a permanent location marker on the Moon for decades to come.
Principal investigator: Dr. Xiaoli Sun, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center NDL (Navigation Doppler Lidar for Precise Velocity and Range Sensing)
A Lidar-based (Light Detection and Ranging) descent and landing sensor. This instrument operates on the same principles of radar but uses pulses from a laser emitted through three optical telescopes. NDL will measure vehicle velocity (speed and direction) and altitude (distance to surface) with high precision during descent to touchdown. Principal investigator: Dr. Farzin Amzajerdian, NASA’s Langley Research Center RFMG (Radio Frequency Mass Gauge)
A rocket propellant gauge used to measure the amount of spacecraft propellant in a low-gravity space environment. Using sensor technology, RFMG will measure the amount, or mass, of cryogenic propellants in Nova-C’s tanks, providing data that can help predict propellant usage on future missions. Principal investigator: Dr. Greg Zimmerli, NASA’s Glenn Research Center ROLSES (Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the Photoelectron Sheath)
Four antennas and a low-frequency radio receiver system designed to study the dynamic radio energy environment near the lunar surface and determine how natural and human-generated activity near the surface interacts with science investigations. It will also detect radio emissions from the Sun, Jupiter, and Earth, as well as dust impacting the surface of the Moon. Principal investigator: Dr. Nat Gopalswamy, NASA Goddard SCALPSS (Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies)
A suite of four cameras to capture stereo and still images of the dust plume created by the lander’s engine as it begins its descent to the lunar surface until after the engine shuts off. Principal investigator: Michelle Munk, NASA Langley Intuitive Machines is one of 14 vendors eligible to carry NASA payloads to the Moon through the agency’s CLPS initiative, which began in 2018. CLPS is an innovative approach connecting NASA with commercial solutions from American companies to deliver scientific, exploration, and technology payloads to the Moon’s surface and into lunar orbit. Through CLPS, NASA aims to gain new insights into the lunar environment and expand the lunar economy to support future crewed missions under the Artemis campaign.
Learn more about NASA’s CLPS initiative at:
https://www.nasa.gov/clps/
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