Intuitive Machines Secures $116.9 Million NASA Contract for Lunar Service

Intuitive Machines has been awarded a $116.9 million contract by NASA to deliver six science and technology payloads to the Moon’s South Pole. This contract, part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, highlights Intuitive Machines’ expanding role in the commercialization of the Moon.

The awarded contract will see Intuitive Machines leveraging its capabilities in lunar delivery, data transmission, and autonomous operations to support NASA’s objectives in the region targeted for future human missions.

*An artist’s concept of Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lunar lander on the Moon’s South Pole, which will carry NASA payload. Credits: Intuitive Machines*

The company has previously made history as the first commercial entity to successfully land and operate on the lunar surface in 2024, a milestone that validated its ability to execute complex space missions, although the mission was not completely successful. The company delivered six NASA payloads to Malapert A in the South Pole region of the Moon with that mission.

“Over the last several years, we’ve witnessed NASA’s successful Artemis I mission and the campaign’s progress toward sustainably returning humans to the surface of the Moon, highlighting the importance of autonomous missions that advance humanity’s understanding of the Moon and the commercial services required to support the industry,” said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines. “Intuitive Machines looks forward to working closely with the NASA team to deliver mission success once again.”

Scientific and Technological Payloads

The payloads scheduled for delivery, collectively expected to be about 79 kilograms in mass, include a mix of scientific instruments and technology demonstrations, each with specific objectives:

Package for Resource Observation and In-Situ Prospecting for Exploration, Characterization, and Testing (PROSPECT): Led by the European Space Agency, PROSPECT is a suite of instruments designed to extract and analyze samples from beneath the lunar surface, focusing on identifying volatiles such as water, ice, or gases that may be trapped in the Moon’s frigid environment.
Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA): Managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, this array of eight retroreflectors will allow precise measurements of distance between the lunar lander and orbiting spacecraft. This passive optical instrument will serve as a long-term location marker on the lunar surface.
Surface Exosphere Alterations by Landers (SEAL): Also managed by NASA’s Goddard, SEAL will study how the lunar surface—specifically its regolith—responds to the physical and chemical disturbances caused by a spacecraft landing, providing insight into potential contamination of nearby collected samples.

Intuitive Machines Nova-C descends to the Moon's surface during the IM-1 Mission, the second of NASA's CLSP Program. Credits: Intuitive Machines. — *Intuitive Machines Nova-C descends to the Moon’s surface during the IM-1 Mission, the second of NASA’s CLSP Program. Credits: Intuitive Machines*

Fluxgate Magnetometer (MAG): This instrument, managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, will measure magnetic fields at the lunar surface, contributing to the understanding of energy and particle dynamics in this environment.
Lunar Compact Infrared Imaging System (L-CIRiS): Developed by the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, this radiometer will map the Moon’s surface temperature and composition using infrared light, aiding in the assessment of potential lunar resources for future missions.

“The instruments on this newly awarded flight will help us achieve multiple scientific objectives and strengthen our understanding of the Moon’s environment,” said Chris Culbert, manager of the CLPS initiative at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Supporting NASA’s Artemis Program

The CLPS initiative, under which this contract falls, is a key component of NASA’s broader Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustainable presence.

Through CLPS, NASA collaborates with American companies, enabling rapid acquisition of lunar delivery services that support scientific research, technology testing, and the commercial development of the Moon.

Since its inception in 2018, the CLPS initiative has included a growing number of U.S. companies that compete to provide end-to-end lunar delivery services, from payload integration to landing on the Moon.

“This marks the 10th CLPS delivery NASA has awarded, and the fourth planned for delivery to the South Pole of the Moon,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By supporting a robust cadence of CLPS flights to a variety of locations on the lunar surface, including two flights currently planned by companies for later this year, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before.”

Intuitive Machines is currently in the final stages of assembling its second lunar mission lander, with a planned delivery to the launch facility by late 2024. Concurrently, the company is also progressing with its third lunar mission, preparing for systems integration and testing.