SpacecraftMoonIn development
Intuitive Machines IM-4 (Nova-C lander, NASA CLPS task order CP-22)
Intuitive Machines' fourth Nova-C lander, which NASA lists for 2027 to deliver six NASA CLPS payloads to Mons Mouton near the lunar south pole. They include ESA's PROSPECT drill and laboratory package, which is to drill for icy volatiles such as water ice, and the L-CIRiS imaging radiometer. These are planned measurements; nothing has flown.
Objective. Deliver six NASA CLPS payloads to Mons Mouton, including ESA's PROSPECT drill and laboratory package and the L-CIRiS imaging radiometer, to look for and characterize water ice and other volatiles.
Targeted
Facts
- Kind
- Spacecraft
- Mission type
- Prospecting
- Target
- MoonMons Mouton, near the lunar south pole
- Launch
- Planned 2027 (target)Announcement date not recorded. Record checked 2026-10-05.
- Phase
- In developmentNASA's IM-4 CLPS flight page lists the flight for 2027 to Mons Mouton; NASA's CP-22 science page names the six payloads. No launch vehicle or month is stated on those pages.
- Outcome
- Not applicable
- Why it is included
- Carries a resource instrument
Participants
Operators, payload owners, carriers and customers are recorded separately.
| Organization | Role |
|---|---|
| Intuitive Machines | Operator |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Customer |
| European Space Agency | Payload owner |
Carried on this mission
Resources and evidence
| Resource | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Water ice | Targeted |
| Volatiles | Targeted |
| Oxygen | Targeted |
Open evidence gaps
- Launch vehicle and provider not stated on a readable primary page (Intuitive Machines' own launch-services release returned only a JavaScript shell to this server).
- No launch month or landing date; NASA gives only the year 2027.
Sources
6 sourcesIntuitive Machines' IM-4 will deliver science and technology to Mons Mouton near the Moon’s South Pole as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) deliveries to the Moon.
CLPS Flight: Intuitive Machines IM-4 When 2027
The Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander (IM-4) will deliver six NASA CLPS science payloads to Mons Mouton.
ESA’s Prospect payload package is a comprehensive suite of hardware designed around a drill that will allow extraction of samples at the Moon’s poles in search of icy volatiles such as water ice.
Lunar ice and oxygen are at the top of PROSPECT’s wish list.
Data from L-CIRiS aims to provide insight into the Moon’s formation and geologic evolution, identify potential exploration hazards, and help us discover the ultimate treasure — water ice.