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HOUSTON, March 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intuitive Machines, Inc. (Nasdaq: LUNR) (“Intuitive Machines”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Company”), a space technology, infrastructure, and services leader, today announced that NASA has awarded the Company a $180.4 million contract to deliver seven science and technology payloads, including an Australian Space Agency lunar rover and technologies from Blue Origin’s Honeybee Robotics, to the Lunar South Pole Region. The Company’s space infrastructure, Lunar landing system, Space Data Network (“SDN”), and autonomous surface operations capabilities will be used to support payload delivery.
As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (“CLPS”) initiative, this award marks Intuitive Machines’ fifth CLPS task order and the first to require a larger cargo class (Nova-D) lunar lander to deliver science and technology payloads and return valuable data while autonomously operating on the lunar surface. Additional commercial payload mass is expected to be made available beyond the CLPS complement.
Intuitive Machines has proven the performance of its scalable space infrastructure through its successful IM-1 and IM-2 missions, including the first commercial spacecraft to land and operate on the Moon and the southernmost lunar surface operations ever achieved. The Company is scheduled to incorporate lessons learned and build on this foundation with its upcoming IM-3, IM-4, and IM-5 flights, including the use of its SDN to provide the persistent connectivity required across the lunar surface and the broader space domain.
“We believe our space infrastructure provides the scalability and flexibility needed to support an increased cadence of new Artemis missions and advance national objectives. This CLPS award accelerates our expansion efforts as we build, connect, and operate the systems powering that infrastructure,” said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines. “We look forward to working closely with NASA to deliver mission success on IM-5 and to provide sustained operations and persistent connectivity in the cislunar environment and across the solar system.”
The IM-5 mission will target Mons Malapert, a ridge near the Lunar South Pole that offers continuous Earth visibility, stable illumination conditions, and access to permanently shadowed regions. These characteristics make the site a compelling location for future communications, navigation, and surface infrastructure.
https://investors.intuitivemachines.com/news-releases/news-release-details/intuitive-machines-expands-lunar-surface-operations-1804-million