IM-3

IM-3 is an upcoming lunar mission planned for late October 2025 by Intuitive Machines for NASA's CLPS program, using a Nova-C lunar lander.

This article is about the 2025 lunar landing mission. For other uses, see IM3.

IM-3

Names	IM-3 CLPS CP-11 CP-11
Mission type	Lunar landing
Operator	Intuitive Machines
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	Nova-C
Manufacturer	Intuitive Machines
Start of mission
Launch date	Late October 2025 (2025-10) UTC
Rocket	Falcon 9 Block 5
Launch site	Kennedy LC-39A
Lunar lander
Landing site	Reiner Gamma
IM-3 mission insignia Motto: MAGNETICAM LUNAM (Magnetic Moon) Intuitive Machines Nova-C ← IM-2 (Athena) IM-4 → Commercial Lunar Payload Services ← Griffin Mission 1 iSpace Mission 3 →

Background

CADRE ATLO Team presents completed rovers

NASA selected a Nova-C mission for CLPS task order CP-11.^[1] It will deliver payloads to the lunar swirl in the Reiner Gamma region.^[2] In August 2021, Intuitive Machines selected SpaceX to launch its third lunar mission, IM-3.^[3] As of August 2024, the launch of IM-3 is expected to take place no earlier than October 2025.^[4] The lander will conduct experiments investigating the properties of the unexpected magnetic field that has been detected in the vicinity of the Reiner Gamma swirl.^[5]

Mission hardware

Main article: Intuitive Machines Nova-C

The Reiner Gamma landing site was announced for the first PRISM opportunity and the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory's Lunar Vertex payload was selected to conducted a detailed scientific analysis of the surface and surface environment. David Blewett (APL) is the principal investigator and leads the science team. Lunar Vertex includes payload elements on the Nova-C lander (APL magnetometer, SwRI plasma spectrometer, and Redwire camera arrays) and on a Lunar Outpost rover (APL magnetometer and Canadensys microscopic imager). APL also provided overall management, systems engineer, SMA, and rover integration and testing.^[6]

Additional IM-3 payloads include the Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Explorers (CADRE) rovers, ESA's MoonLIGHT Pointing Actuator (MPAc) and KASI's Lunar Space Environment Monitor (LUSEM).^[1]

Mission events

Prior to launch

As of early 2025, the mission is scheduled for launch in October 2025.

See also

• Commercial Lunar Payload Services
  • IM-1
  • IM-2
  • Peregrine Mission One
• List of missions to the Moon
  • Chandrayaan-3
  • Luna 25
  • Smart Lander for Investigating Moon