Mentioned:
NASA has big plans for the Moon. And they’re bringing in Intuitive Machines to take things to the next level.
What’s happening:
- Aerospace company Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ: LUNR) has won a new contract from NASA to deliver multiple science and technology payloads to the Moon’s South Pole
Why it matters:
- The new deal from NASA is part of their larger Commercial Lunar Payload Services project which is aiming to partner with American based aerospace companies to test new technologies and conduct experiments to better prepare for human missions to the Moon which will be led by NASA
- Intuitive Machines has quickly become one of the most exciting publicly traded space companies in the world after successfully becoming the first for profit company to land on the Moon
By the numbers:
- The new contract from NASA is worth $116.9M USD
- This is the 4th time NASA has selected Intuitive Machines to deliver payloads to the Moon and operate autonomously on the Moon’s surface
Going deeper:
- Intuitive Machines will also be providing significant amounts of data to NASA as part of their payload delivery mission to the Moon, including insights into surface temperature, particle pathways and the impact that landing a spacecraft on the Moon’s surface has on lunar soil
The intrigue:
- Publicly listed space companies have been seeing an influx in both capital and excitement amidst multiple technological advancements and recent successful missions into orbit