Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines is a Houston-based space technology, infrastructure, and services company best known for operating under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. In February 2024, its Nova-C class lander Odysseus (IM-1) became the first commercially built spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon and the first US lunar landing since Apollo 17, though the vehicle came to rest tipped on its side. A second mission, IM-2 (Athena), landed near the lunar south pole in March 2025 and also tipped over, limiting its surface operations.

Beyond lunar landers, Intuitive Machines provides engineering and operations support to NASA (including the OMES III contract at Johnson Space Center), Near Space Network communications and navigation relay services, and is expanding into satellite manufacturing and lunar/cislunar communications infrastructure following its 2025 acquisition of Lanteris Space Systems. The company has publicly stated it is diversifying beyond one-off lander missions toward recurring data-services and infrastructure revenue, including work tied to the U.S. Space Force's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).

Intuitive Machines went public via SPAC merger with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp in February 2023 and trades on Nasdaq under ticker LUNR. It is a key commercial participant in NASA's Artemis-era lunar exploration architecture, competing with Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and ispace for CLPS task orders.

Intuitive Machines has flown 1 orbital mission tracked in the NovΔ mAInd launch database, at a 100% success rate. Our tracking covers 2025-09-02 to 2025-09-02; earlier flights are outside this dataset.

Computed from our own launch tracker, not supplied by the company. See the full launch tracker →

Nova-C Lunar Lander

Methane/liquid-oxygen propelled lunar lander platform developed under NASA's CLPS program. Payload capacity: approximately 130 kg to the lunar surface. First flight: IM-1 "Odysseus," launched February 15, 2024, landed February 22, 2024 (soft landing achieved, lander tipped over). IM-2 "Athena" launched and landed March 2025 near the lunar south pole (also tipped over post-landing). IM-3, a south-pole delivery mission, is contracted with NASA for a target launch window around 2027.

Micro-Nova "Hopper"

Small hopping payload-delivery vehicle designed to extend surface exploration range beyond the lander's immediate vicinity, flown as a secondary payload on IM-1 (deployment did not complete as planned).

Near Space Network & Lunar Data Services

Communications, navigation, and relay services for lunar and cislunar missions under NASA's Near Space Network Services contract. Intuitive Machines announced in 2025 it would manufacture its own lunar communications satellites in-house, expanding beyond third-party procurement.

Satellite Manufacturing (Lanteris Space Systems)

Satellite bus and spacecraft manufacturing capability acquired via the planned acquisition of Lanteris Space Systems (announced November 2025), supporting government and commercial satellite programs including PWSA-related work.

• 2013: Founded in Houston by Stephen Altemus, Kam Ghaffarian, and Tim Crain, drawing on NASA Johnson Space Center engineering heritage.
• 2019: Selected by NASA for a Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) task order to deliver payloads to the Moon (IM-1).
• February 2023: Completed SPAC merger with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp, began trading on Nasdaq as LUNR.
• February 22, 2024: Nova-C lander Odysseus (IM-1) achieved the first US soft lunar landing since Apollo 17 and the first-ever commercial lunar landing; the lander came to rest on its side, limiting some mission objectives.
• August 2024: NASA selected Intuitive Machines for a third CLPS lunar lander mission (IM-3) targeting the lunar south pole.
• March 2025: IM-2 lander Athena landed near the lunar south pole but tipped over; company publicly emphasized diversification beyond lunar landers toward data services.
• May 2025: Company detailed root causes (altimeter/lighting issues) behind the IM-2 landing anomaly.
• August 2025: Announced plans to build lunar communications satellites in-house rather than relying solely on third parties.
• November 2025: Announced agreement to acquire Lanteris Space Systems, adding satellite manufacturing capacity.
• February 2026: Secured a $175 million strategic equity investment to scale space infrastructure, including PWSA-related work.
• March 19, 2026: Reported Q4/FY2025 results; guided full-year 2026 revenue of $900 million–$1 billion driven by CLPS, OMES III, and Near Space Network Services.
• May 14, 2026: Agreed to acquire a ground station operator with US and UK facilities to build out a lunar communications network.
• August 2026: Selected by NASA to provide the spacecraft platform for the EAGLE-VSWIR Earth science mission; separately announced a satellite communications infrastructure program valued at more than $600 million.

Intuitive Machines plans to fly its IM-3 CLPS lander to the lunar south pole around 2027. The company is building out a lunar/cislunar communications and data-relay network, including in-house satellite manufacturing (via the pending Lanteris Space Systems acquisition) and newly acquired ground stations in the US and UK. It is expanding government services work, including PWSA-related satellite programs backed by a $175 million strategic investment, and has been selected to provide the spacecraft platform for NASA's EAGLE-VSWIR Earth science mission. Management has guided full-year 2026 revenue of $900 million to $1 billion, driven by CLPS, OMES III, and Near Space Network Services contracts.

No recent articles yet. Browse all coverage →