Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. We\u2019re just two days away from Intuitive Machines\u2019 first-ever mission to the moon. Pro-tip: <\/strong>If you haven\u2019t already, check out this ultra thorough press kit\u00a0<\/a>on the mission \u2014 the company goes into a ton of detail about the lander architecture, the payloads on board and everything that will happen during the mission.<\/p>\n Want to reach out with a tip? Email Aria at aria.techcrunch@gmail.com<\/span><\/a> or send me a message on Signal at 512-937-3988. You can also send a note to the whole TechCrunch crew at<\/em>\u00a0tips@techcrunch.com<\/a>.\u00a0For more secure communications<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/em>click here to contact us<\/em><\/a>, which includes SecureDrop (<\/em>instructions here<\/em><\/a>) and links to encrypted messaging apps.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n In honor of the forthcoming IM-1 launch, this week I\u2019m highlighting a story<\/a> I wrote about the mission when SpaceX and Intuitive Machines (finally) announced the date and time for lift-off. Like many guessed, they\u2019re targeting February 14 at 12:57 a.m. EST, with an extra few days as back up in case weather or some other issue delays launch.<\/p>\n Intuitive Machines is hoping to pave the way for commercial success in the nascent lunar economy, with the company saying in the press kit that this mission\u2019s success \u201cwill lay the groundwork for a burgeoning lunar economy, opening new possibilities for research, commerce, and exploration.\u201d<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> SpaceX<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Last week, I wrote about Interlune, a stealthy startup founded by ex-Blue Origin leaders that closed $15 million in new funding<\/a>.<\/p>\n But the rationale for raising the capital was poorly understood. Interlune, headed by ex-Blue Origin President Robert Meyerson, had kept things very, very close to the chest. Until now.\u00a0Two of Interlune\u2019s confidential pitch decks, dated spring 2022 and fall 2023 and viewed by TechCrunch, reveal that the startup was seeking that funding to build and test resource extraction hardware for lunar helium-3 (He-3).<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Interlune<\/p>\n<\/div>\n SpaceX launched a $1 billion NASA Earth science satellite on a Falcon 9 last week, bringing to a close around two decades of development and planning.<\/p>\n The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE<\/a>) spacecraft will collect data on marine ecosystems, the ocean and our atmosphere, which will help scientists better understand everything from phytoplankton to air quality to how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon.<\/p>\n \u201cPACE is going to show us the biology of the oceans at a scale that we\u2019ve never been able to see before,\u201d Karen St. Germain, director of NASA\u2019s Earth Science division, said during a media briefing.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> SpaceX<\/p>\n<\/div>\n CNBC\u2019s Michael Sheetz<\/a> spoke to seven bankers about the probable sale of United Launch Alliance and the three bidders currently in the running, including Blue Origin and aerospace contractor Textron. He takes a closer look at what the acquisition would mean for each of the possible buyers \u2014 and for the future of launch.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Amazon \/ ULA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I finally have an excuse to use one of my favorite photographs from the history of space, ever: that of astronaut Bruce McCandless, who on February 12, 1984, used a nitrogen jet-propelled backpack to venture farther from the space shuttle than anyone ever had before.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> NASA (opens in a new window)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n![\"Interlune](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/interlune-concept.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLaunch highlights<\/h2>\n
![\"SpaceX](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/nasa-spacex-pace-mission.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Amazon](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/AmazonKuiperLaunch.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThis week in space history<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mccandless-jetpack.webp\")
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