spacetoday.net: Intuitive Machines sets November date for launch of first lunar lander

Posted: Sat, Aug 19, 2023, 11:45 AM ET (1545 GMT)
Intuitive Machines has set a mid-November launch date for its first lunar lander mission. The company said in an earnings announcement Monday that its IM-1 mission is scheduled to launch Nov. 15 on a Falcon 9 from the Kennedy Space Center, at the start of a six-day launch window, with a backup launch window in December. The lander is complete and will be shipped to Florida for launch preparations in September. IM-1 is the first of three lander missions under contract currently through NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The company reported an operating loss of $13.1 million on $18 million in revenue in the second quarter, and withdrew previous guidance for revenue for the year citing delays in government contracts and "U.S. federal budget uncertainty."