Intuitive

The IM-1 lander "Odysseus" in lunar orbit on Feb. 21, 2024.Intuitive MachinesIntuitive Machines is building on the successes of its inaugural moon mission, reporting fourth-quarter results on Thursday and saying it now has "sufficient capital for the near term."The lunar company revealed that its cash balance at the end of the year was just $4.5 million – partly the result of paying down $12 million in debt off its balance sheet. Following its historic February moon landing, the company saw about $50 million in "warrant…

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain I have been researching the psychology of conspiracy beliefs for seven years now and people often ask me why people believe in them. This is not a simple question. There are many reasons people might endorse conspiracy theories. Something that stands out to me, though, is how our thinking styles can influence the…

Meta’s text-based social media platform, Threads, has released a convenient update to its iOS app. The latest version, v321.0, introduces a new swipe control feature that simplifies navigation through the “For You” feed. It provides a more intuitive and efficient way to interact with content. This new feature allows users to easily like or hide posts with a simple left or right swipe. A right swipe likes the post, while a left swipe hides it from the feed. This makes Threads a more streamlined experience, similar to…

Odysseus, the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the moon in half a century, was expected to go dark on Wednesday, six days after an off-kilter touchdown that hindered its communications and solar-charging capability, NASA and the company that flew the vehicle said.Despite persistent difficulties in communicating with the lander and keeping it charged, NASA said it managed to extract data from all of its science payloads delivered to the lunar surface by the lander, flown by Texas-based Intuitive Machines."We have conducted…

Intuitive Machines’ first lunar lander officially lost power today after spending seven days on the moon. The lander made history for being the first American hardware to reach the lunar surface since 1972 and the first privately built spacecraft to land on the moon. But the lander, called Odysseus, will be remembered for another reason: its propulsion system. That propulsion system, which uses a combination of cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid methane, could unlock new capabilities in space and de-risk future…

NASA and Intuitive Machines recently showcased the first images by its lunar lander, Odysseus, making a soft landing on the Moon's south pole as part of the Intuitive Machines 1 mission (IM-1). The spacecraft's orientation and a glimpse of the Moon's South Pole region were captured in these images, marking for a significant achievement in the United States' return to lunar exploration over half a century since Apollo 17.Referred to affectionately as a "scrappy little guy" by NASA due to a tilted leg, Odysseus executed a…

Odysseus’ landing captured a leg, as it performed its primary task, absorbing first contact with the lunar surface. With the lander’s liquid methane and liquid oxygen engine still throttling, it provided stability. Credit: Intuitive MachinesNASA and Intuitive Machines have provided updates on the challenges and successes of the IM-1 mission, marking the first U.S. lunar landing since Apollo 17. This groundbreaking mission successfully collected over 350 megabits of science data, offering unprecedented insights into the…

After a nail-biting touchdown on the lunar surface that left Odysseus bent over on its side, the lander is ready for its nap. Intuitive Machines is getting ready to power down its lunar lander, with hopes that Odie may wake up once the Sun illuminates its functioning solar array again.China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonThe Houston-based company held a press conference on Wednesday to give an update on its IM-1 mission, which landed on the Moon on February 22. The Odysseus lander had some trouble making it to the…

Intuitive Machines’ first moon mission will come to a premature end due to the spacecraft landing on its side, which altered how the solar panels are positioned in relation to the sun, the company said in an update Tuesday morning. Flight controllers were still working to determine the battery’s remaining life, which could be between 10-20 hours. The spacecraft, which landed on the moon five days ago, was expected to operate for 7-10 days. Intuitive Machines made history when it landed its spacecraft, called…

Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. My stomach is still in knots from the Intuitive Machines landing livestream. I think it’s fair to say that the words of Tim Crain, Intuitive Machines’ CTO, will go down in history: “We’re not dead yet.” Very metal. Want to reach out with a tip? Email Aria at [email protected] or send me a message on Signal at 512-937-3988. You can also send a note to the whole TechCrunch crew at [email protected]. For more secure communications, click here to contact us, which…