The IM-2 mission builds upon the Nova-C lunar lander design used in the IM-1 mission, incorporating improvements to enhance performance. The Athena lander will aim for the Mons Mouton region near the Moon’s South Pole, a challenging location that could provide new insights into lunar resources.
L3Harris’ ARDÉ division, a leading supplier of lightweight pressure vessels, played a crucial role in developing and delivering the new tank. With longer industrial lead times affecting the aerospace sector, ARDÉ adapted existing hardware to meet Intuitive Machines’ needs, delivering the tank in just three months instead of the industry-standard 16-month cycle.
The new tank is a composite pressure overwrapped vessel (COPV), a proven design used in rockets, satellites, interplanetary probes, and human spaceflight missions. It features a welded metal liner overwrapped with carbon fibre, ensuring strength and durability under extreme conditions.
The IM-1 mission, which landed on the Moon in February 2024, successfully used similar tanks supplied by L3Harris. For IM-2, Intuitive Machines requested a lighter version, requiring less helium, which enabled L3Harris to design a smaller, more efficient tank.
The manufacturing process included rigorous testing, including a destructive pressure test where the tank was filled with water and ruptured at 11,000 psi, exceeding the required 9,000 psi minimum burst pressure. Following this, the flight unit was completed in just six weeks and delivered to Intuitive Machines.
With the Athena lander, Intuitive Machines aims to demonstrate lunar mobility and resource prospecting, including analysing volatile substances from subsurface materials. The mission will take commercial space exploration closer to the Moon’s South Pole than ever before, paving the way for future NASA and private sector missions.
Source: L3Harris Technologies.
