Intuitive Machines’ Micro Nova Hopper: America's Newest Lunar Explorer
Developed with funding from the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) Tipping Point opportunity, Intuitive Machines' Micro Nova Hopper robot will enable high-resolution surveying of the lunar surface.
Launching to the Moon aboard the Intuitive Machines 2 (IM-2) mission no earlier than February 26, 2025, the Hopper—named Grace—will test propulsive robotic access to extreme lunar environments like craters, providing a first look into undiscovered regions that may provide critical information to sustain a human presence on the Moon.
Through the Tipping Point initiative, STMD works with private companies to speed up the development of technologies that could support government and commercial missions. By partnering with industry, NASA is initiating innovative solutions that boost the space economy and allow for more frequent and more cost-effective missions.
Intuitive Machines, Inc, a space exploration, infrastructure, and services company, announced that its IM-2 mission lunar lander, named Athena, carrying PRIME-1 and other NASA technology demonstrations and science investigations, will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than February 26, 2025.
Release Date: Feb. 23, 2025
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