“[The class of 2024] represents the true pioneering spirit of aviation and space exploration, from the quest to travel across the globe faster, more safely and efficiently, to inventing the scientific inventions necessary to reach the moon,” said Jim Kidrick, president and CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum. “Achievements in aviation and space, as embodied by the honorees in the prestigious International Air & Space Hall of Fame, directly represent the human pioneering spirit and pursuit of mankind’s future frontiers.”

Among the members of the IASHF, which was established in 1963, are the Wright brothers, pilots Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Chuck Yeager, and Jackie Cochran,  astronauts Neil Armstrong, Bill Anders, and Jim Lovell, and engineers and aircraft designers such as Igor Sikorsky, Wernher von Braun, Jack Northrop, William Boeing Sr., Reuben H. Fleet, and Glenn Curtiss.

The gala event to welcome the honorees is set for November 9 in the Edwin D. McKellar Pavilion of Flight.

This year’s honorees include:

• Stephen Altemus: Altemus is the co-founder, president, and CEO of Intuitive Machines, a company that develops designs to advance both human and robotic exploration of the moon, Mars, and the planets beyond. Altemus and Intuitive Machines partnered with NASA and are a key player in the plans for a manned return to the moon.

• Bell Flight: Bell has been developing helicopters since 1939. The Bell 47, also known as the MASH helicopter, is one of its more famous designs. Known for its versatility, there is hardly a television news department, medical service provider, or law enforcement agency in a large city that hasn’t used a Bell aircraft, a testament to the versatility of the rotor-wing designs. And, of course, the Bell X-1 was the vehicle that ushered in the age of supersonic flight.

• Salvatore “Tory” Bruno: The president and CEO of United Launch Alliance (ULA) will be recognized for his leadership at the nation’s most reliable and experienced launch service provider. Since 2006, ULA has made more than 150 consecutive launches using Atlas and Delta rockets. The company is continuing its efforts with the new Vulcan rocket family that will be used for future launches.

• International Council of Air Shows (ICAS): The International Council of Air Shows is the organization behind many of the aviation events that attract thousands to airports around the world. The organization was established in 1967 by airshow professionals and has evolved into a globally recognized authority on airshow safety. ICAS plays a pivotal role in advancing best practices, addressing regulatory and safety concerns, and fostering collaboration with military and civilian stakeholders, resulting in entertaining and safe events.

• Katherine Johnson: The former NASA mathematician was celebrated in the 2016 biopic movie Hidden Figures. Johnson’s calculations in orbital mechanics, done on a chalkboard or with pencil and paper, were instrumental in the success of America’s first crewed spaceflights, including the Apollo moon landings. At the time there were very few women or people of color involved in the space program. Johnson, being both, often had to deal with the stereotypes to have her work recognized and accepted.

• Laurans “Larry” Mendelson: In 1990, Mendelson, with the help of his sons Eric and Victor, took a small Florida-based public company, HEICO, and turned it into an international supplier for aerospace and electronics. Under their leadership, the company makes hundreds of thousands of parts and employs approximately 10,000 team members in 21 states in North America and 15 countries.

• Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider: The B-21 Raider is the next generation of long-range strike bombers. Designed for endurance and stealth as well as manned and unmanned operations, the advanced aircraft is intended to be a key player in the U.S. Air Force strategic bomber fleet.

• Blake Scholl: ,In 2014, Scholl wanted to make high-speed travel a reality as a means to foster deeper global connections, so he founded Boom Supersonic. Through the development of Overture, the world’s fastest commercial airliner, the company strives to create faster, more affordable, and more environmentally sustainable air travel.

The complete list of Hall of Fame members is available here.

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Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission made history for completing the first successful moon landing by a company when its Nova-C autonomous lander Odysseus reached the South Pole region on February 22. 

On Wednesday afternoon, however, only hours of power fueling transmission to Earth remained.

• READ MORE: ‘Odysseus’ Lunar Lander Alive, Well… But Likely Not Upright

“We know we’re degrading in power,” Steve Altemus, CEO of Houston-based Intuitive Machines, said Wednesday during a press conference, adding that within five hours no more telemetry would be available.

When the power runs out, the lander will conduct a “quiet power down,” Altemus said, adding there may be an opportunity to attempt to repower it in about three weeks when the sun once again is in range of the lander’s solar panels.

• READ MORE: ‘Odysseus’ Transmits First Lunar Landing Images

Upon its descent, the Nova-C lander tilted over slowly and came to rest at an angle about 30 degrees above a 12-degree slope, Altemus said. Despite the less-than-upright landing, all of its payloads are transmitting data, according to the company.

• READ MORE: The ‘Odysseus’ Has Landed

“A soft touchdown on the moon is a great accomplishment,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator of exploration at NASA. 

As part of NASA’s commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis campaign, the IM-1 mission carried six NASA payloads conducting research to better understand the lunar environment. 

“This image retrieved from the lander on February 27 captures Odysseus’ landing strut during landing on February 22 performing its primary task, absorbing first contact with the lunar surface,” Intuitive Machines said in a mission update Wednesday. “Meanwhile, the lander’s liquid methane and liquid oxygen engine is still throttling, which provided stability. The company believes the two insights captured in this image enabled Odysseus to gently lean into the lunar surface, preserving the ability to return scientific data.”

The post ‘Odysseus’ Lunar Landing Mission Nears Completion appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

New photos released Monday by the Houston-based aerospace company and NASA show Odysseus’ descent and confirm its location, days after the Nova-C lander completed its seven-day, 600,000-mile journey, softly landing in the South Pole region of the moon around 6:23 p.m. EST Thursday. 

While Odysseus landed successfully, flight controllers said Friday that as it descended a foot was caught in the surface, tipping it over on its side.

• READ MORE: ‘Odysseus’ Lunar Lander Alive, Well… But Likely Not Upright

“Odysseus continues to communicate with flight controllers in Nova Control from the lunar surface,” Intuitive Machines said in an IM-1 mission update Monday. “After understanding the end-to-end communication requirements, Odysseus sent images from the lunar surface of its vertical descent to its Malapert A landing site, representing the [farthest] south any vehicle has been able to land on the Moon and establish communication with ground controllers.

• READ MORE: The ‘Odysseus’ Has Landed

“As part of Odysseus’ descent on to the lunar surface, Intuitive Machines hazard relative navigation algorithms detected nine safe landing sites within the targeted South Pole region, which is an area that contains permanently shadowed regions that may be rich in resources, including water ice that could be used for future propulsion and life support on the moon.”

Two days after landing, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft photographed Odysseus’ landing site as it passed over it at an altitude of about 56 miles.

• READ MORE: IM-1 Private Lunar Lander Mission Transmits First Space Images

“Odysseus marks the first successful soft landing of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and the first time that new NASA science instruments and technology demonstrations are operating on the moon in more than 50 years,” NASA said.

The post ‘Odysseus’ Transmits First Lunar Landing Images appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

After a journey of around 600,000 miles, Odysseus softly landed in the South Pole region around 6:23 p.m. EST Thursday. 

It did not, however, land upright, controllers believe.

• READ MORE: The ‘Odysseus’ Has Landed

“Odysseus is alive and well,” the company said in its first update Friday after the landing. “Flight controllers are communicating and commanding the vehicle to download science data. The lander has good telemetry and solar charging. We continue to learn more about the vehicle’s specific information (Lat/Lon), overall health, and attitude (orientation).”

“It was quite a spicy 7-day mission to get to the moon,” Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, said Friday. “The vehicle is stable near or at our intended landing site. We do have communications with the lander.” 

The sun is impinging on the solar rays, charging its batteries. “We’re at a 100 percent state of charge. That’s fantastic,” he added.

During a press conference, the company released a photo from about 10 km above the surface of the Schomberger Crater in the South Pole region, about 200 km up-range of the target landing site. The image shows the deep shadows and undulating surface, which makes landing challenging, Altemus said.

• READ MORE: ‘Odysseus’ Transmits New Photos Ahead of Lunar Landing Attempt

Flight controllers believe that as the lander came down, a foot was caught in the surface, “and the lander has tipped,” he said.

It will likely take several days, however, for the company to confirm the lander’s orientation through data reconstruction and images. While the company believes the lander is lying on its side, it continues to to receive solar rays and the majority of its payloads are all in view, Altemus said. 

On board the Nova-C lunar lander are six NASA payloads conducting research and collecting data to better understand the lunar environment prior to human exploration. 

According to Altemus, the company believes that the lander is elevated off the surface, that most of the payloads are exposed, and above the panel believed to be now facing the surface. 

“That panel only had a single payload on it and it’s not an operational payload. It’s a static payload. We’re still going to try to take a picture of that payload if we can and that would meet those objectives,” he said.

From NASA’s perspective, the landing was a success.

“We’ve already gotten data along the way,” Prasun Desai, associate administrator of space technology at NASA. “A lot of the payloads have already been successfully demonstrated.”

• READ MORE:  IM-1 Private Lunar Lander Mission Transmits First Space Images

According to another NASA official, the soft landing validated the space agency’s commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) initiative.

“Intuitive Machines, in doing a soft touch down on the moon, has provided the first real evidence that this is possible to do. It’s possible with today’s technology, with dedicated engineering, and appropriate financial management to have a private company actually design a spacecraft, develop a mission, buy a rocket, and fly all the way to the moon and soft land on the surface of the moon,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator of exploration at NASA. “This is a gigantic accomplishment.”

The post ‘Odysseus’ Lunar Lander Alive, Well… But Likely Not Upright appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“This is the first time an American commercial lunar lander has made it to orbit around the moon,” NASA said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The uncrewed robotic lunar lander touched down on the moon’s surface at 6:23 p.m. EST. 

• READ MORE: ‘Odysseus’ Transmits New Photos Ahead of Lunar Landing Attempt

The mission, known as IM-1, launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket February 15 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as part of NASA’s commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis campaign. On board are six NASA payloads that will conduct research and collect data to better understand the lunar environment to prepare for human exploration under Artemis. 

Your order was delivered… to the Moon! @Int_Machines' uncrewed lunar lander landed at 6:23pm ET (2323 UTC), bringing NASA science to the Moon's surface. These instruments will prepare us for future human exploration of the Moon under #Artemis. pic.twitter.com/sS0poiWxrU

— NASA (@NASA) February 22, 2024

“On the eighth day of a quarter-million mile voyage—a voyage along the great cosmic bridge from the launch pad of the Kennedy Space Center, to the target of the South Pole of the moon, a commercial lander named Odysseus powered by a company called Intuitive Machines [of Houston] launched upon a SpaceX rocket, carrying a bounty of NASA scientific instruments and bearing the dream of a new adventure,”  NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a video message immediately following the landing.

• READ MORE: IM-1 Private Lunar Lander Mission Transmits First Space Images

“Today for the first time in a half century, the U.S. has returned to the moon,” Nelson said. “Today for the first time in the history of humanity, a commercial company—an American company—launched and led the voyage up there. And today is a day that shows the power and promise of NASA’s commercial partnerships.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The post The ‘Odysseus’ Has Landed appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Intuitive Machines released two new photos transmitted by its voyaging Nova-C robotic lunar lander Odysseus, which will attempt to reach the moon’s South Pole surface Thursday.

The mission, known as IM-1, is set to be the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years. Launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket February 15 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, it is part of NASA’s commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis campaign. On board are six NASA payloads that will conduct research and collect data to better understand the lunar environment. 

• READ MORE: IM-1 Private Lunar Lander Mission Transmits First Space Images

Thursday afternoon, the Houston-based private aerospace company updated its projection for Odysseus’ expected landing time. 

“Flight controllers chose to exercise an additional orbit before starting the IM-1 mission landing sequence. The new anticipated landing time is 1724 CST [6:24 p.m. EST],” Intuitive Machines said in a mission update.

• READ MORE: Here’s When ‘Odysseus’ is Expected to Land on the Moon

Earlier projections had Odysseus landing around 5:30 p.m. EST, however, such forecasts are approximate and subject to change, Intuitive Machines said.

• READ MORE: How to Watch ‘Odysseus’ Attempt First U.S. Moon Landing Since 1972

“The landing opportunity will be Odysseus’ hardest challenge yet,” the company said. “The lander continues to be in excellent health, orbiting approximately 92 kilometers [57 miles] above the lunar surface.”

Thursday’s anticipated lunar landing will be livestreamed here.

The post ‘Odysseus’ Transmits New Photos Ahead of Lunar Landing Attempt appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In a matter of hours, Intuitive Machines’ private lunar lander Odysseus will attempt the first U.S. moon landing in more than half a century.

On Wednesday, the voyaging Nova-C robotic moon lander had successfully traversed what the company called the mission’s “largest challenge to date,” reaching lunar orbit as planned ahead of its landing anticipated at around 4:24 p.m. EST Thursday.

“After traveling over [1 million kilometers], Odysseus is now closer to the moon than the end-to-end distance driving across ‘Space City,’ Houston, Texas,” Intuitive Machines said Wednesday, alluding to the site of its company headquarters.

The update followed a scheduled engine burn of nearly seven minutes that inserted Odysseus into circular orbit about 57 miles above the moon’s surface.

“Odysseus continues to be in excellent health,” the company said. 

• READ MORE: Here’s When ‘Odysseus’ Is Expected to Land on the Moon

When Odysseus touches down on the moon’s surface near Malapert A in the South Pole region of the moon Thursday, it will be the first U.S. lunar landing since NASA’s Apollo 17 crew in 1972.

The private IM-1 mission, which launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket February 15 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is headed to the South Pole region as part of NASA’s commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis campaign. On board are six NASA payloads that will conduct research and collect data to better understand the lunar environment. 

• READ MORE: Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Martian?

“Through the Artemis campaign, commercial robotic deliveries will perform science experiments, test technologies, and demonstrate capabilities to help NASA explore the moon in advance of Artemis Generation astronaut missions to the lunar surface, and ultimately crewed missions to Mars,” NASA said.

How to Watch

There will be ample opportunity to tune in to the lunar landing Thursday. Intuitive Machines will livestream the event here.

NASA will also provide live landing coverage on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. 

The space agency said its coverage will begin at 4:15 p.m. EST, as the landing milestones occur. 

“Upon successful landing, Intuitive Machines and NASA will host a news conference to discuss the mission and science opportunities that lie ahead as the company begins lunar surface operations,” NASA said.

WATCH: IM-1 Mission Flightpath Overview

The post How to Watch ‘Odysseus’ Attempt First U.S. Moon Landing Since 1972 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C robotic lunar lander Odysseus is on track to execute the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years on Thursday, according to the company.

The private IM-1 mission, which launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket February 15 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is headed to the South Pole region of the moon as part of the agency’s commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis campaign. 

The mission comes a little more than a month after the failed attempt of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One to become the first American CLPS spacecraft to reach the moon’s surface.

• READ MORE: Moon-Bound Nova-C Commercial Lunar Lander Successfully Launches

On Thursday afternoon, Odysseus will take that title, according to Intuitive Machines. 

The private aerospace company updated its projection for landing in a mission update Thursday. “Flight controllers chose to exercise an additional orbit before starting the IM-1 mission landing sequence. The new anticipated landing time is 1724 CST” or 6:24 p.m. EST, it said.

On Saturday, Intuitive Machines released the first images from the IM-1 mission, showing Oydysseus’ journey toward the moon with the Earth in the background.

According to the company, flight controllers commanded the first planned trajectory correction maneuver on Sunday, igniting the lander’s engine for the second time. On Monday morning, controllers also completed all NASA and commercial transit payload operations, it said.

• READ MORE: IM-1 Private Lunar Lander Mission Transmits First Space Images

On board Odysseus are six NASA payloads that will conduct research and collect data to better understand the lunar environment, beginning before the lander touches down on the moon’s surface. According to the space agency, instruments will measure the quantity of cryogenic engine fuel as it is used en route, and precision landing technologies will be tested during Odysseus’ descent. When the lander reaches the moon’s surface, it will then focus on space weather, lunar surface interactions, and radio astronomy, NASA said.

On Wednesday, however, Odysseus faces what Intuitive Machines calls its “largest challenge to date”—lunar orbit insertion.

“Odysseus continues to be in excellent health, and flight controllers are analyzing and managing the lander’s thermal conditioning for critical systems and payloads with a combination of heater power and attitude control to maximize efficiency,” the company said.

The lunar landing anticipated Thursday will be livestreamed here.

The post Here’s When ‘Odysseus’ Is Expected to Land on the Moon appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The update comes three days after Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission successfully launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Thursday, putting the Odysseus private lunar lander on track to becoming the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years. The IM-1 mission is headed to the South Pole region of the moon as part of NASA’s commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis campaign. 

On Saturday, Intuitive Machines released the first images from the IM-1 Mission, showing Oydysseus’ journey toward the moon with the Earth in the background.

• READ MORE: Moon-Bound Nova-C Commercial Lunar Lander Successfully Launches

According to the company, Odysseus’ wide and narrow field-of-view cameras were programmed to take a progression of five quick images every five minutes for two hours beginning 100 seconds after the lander separated from SpaceX’s second stage.

“Out of all the images collected, Intuitive Machines chose to show humanity’s place in the universe with four wonderful images we hope to inspire the next generation of risk-takers,” Intuitive Machines said Sunday in an IM-1 Mission update.

“Odysseus continues to be in excellent health, and flight controllers are preparing planned trajectory correction maneuvers to prepare the lander for lunar orbit insertion. Since the IM-1 mission launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, flight controllers on the company’s red, white, and blue teams have been learning more about the lander and how to efficiently fly the mission to return the United States to the surface of the moon.”

Odysseus is expected to execute its lunar orbit insertion Wednesday, and a lunar landing opportunity is expected on Thursday afternoon. The lunar landing will be livestreamed here.

The post IM-1 Private Lunar Lander Mission Transmits First Space Images appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Following a launch delay earlier in the week due to a technical issue, the robotic Nova-C class lunar lander lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:05 a.m. EST.

Shortly before 2 a.m., the lander deployed from the Falcon 9 rocket second stage, NASA said.

“Teams confirmed it made communications contact with the company’s mission operations center in Houston,” the agency said. “The spacecraft is stable and receiving solar power.” 

• READ MORE: SpaceX Pushes Launch of Odysseus Moon Lander to Thursday

The IM-1 mission is headed to the South Pole region of the moon as part of NASA’s commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis campaign. On board the Nova-C lunar lander, called Odysseus, are six NASA payloads that will conduct research to better understand the lunar environment. 

NASA experiments and data collection will begin before the lander touches down on the moon’s surface, according to the space agency. While en route, instruments will measure the quantity of cryogenic engine fuel as it is used, and precision landing technologies will be tested during its descent, according to the agency. When the lander reaches the moon’s surface, it will then focus on space weather, lunar surface interactions, and radio astronomy. 

“The Nova-C lander also will carry retroreflectors contributing to a network of location markers on the moon for communication and navigation for future autonomous navigation technologies,” NASA said.

Following the launch Thursday, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson called the mission a “giant leap for humanity” amid preparations for Artemis, a series of missions that will attempt to return U.S. astronauts to the moon as soon as 2025. 

• READ MORE: First U.S. Moonshot in Decades Will Fall Short—What It Means

“These daring moon deliveries will not only conduct new science [on] the moon, but they are supporting a growing commercial space economy while showing the strength of American technology and innovation,” Nelson said. “We have so much to learn through CLPS flights that will help us shape the future of human exploration for the Artemis generation.” 

The IM-1 mission is the first attempted lunar landing as part of the CLPS initiative and comes little more than a month after the failed attempt of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One to become the first American CLPS spacecraft to reach the moon’s surface.

“We are keenly aware of the immense challenges that lie ahead,” Steve Altemus, Intuitive Machines CEO, said in a statement. “However, it is precisely in facing these challenges head-on that we recognize the magnitude of the opportunity before us—to softly return the United States to the surface of the moon for the first time in 52 years.”

The Nova-C lander is expected to land on the moon February 22. 

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