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HOUSTON, June 30, 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 it has received a firm-fixed-price contract from NASA valued at up to $148.3 million to deliver a production-line-qualified Nova-C lander to the Moon no later than 2028. The award reinforces NASA’s accelerated schedule for lunar surface deliveries and helps proliferate Moon Base operational sites in support of Artemis.

Pictured: Intuitive Machines’ production-line-qualified Nova-C landers, including IM-2 which is being loaded for transport while IM-3 is in the background in development.

By scaling manufacturing processes to support high-volume production, Intuitive Machines is creating a standardized and repeatable lunar transport utility service. Intuitive Machines’ high-velocity pipeline helps establish the foundational infrastructure required to support NASA’s Moon Base and expand operational sites across the lunar environment.

“We are shifting the paradigm from custom aerospace engineering to commercial mass production of lunar infrastructure,” said Intuitive Machines CEO, Steve Altemus. “Our flight-proven Nova-C platform allows us to build, test, and deploy multiple landers in parallel using industry 4.0-powered manufacturing. This contract directly advances our core mission to provide persistent, reliable, and commercial baseline of transport, connectivity, and operations that allows our customers to stay longer and achieve more on the Moon.”

This award directly expands Intuitive Machines’ space infrastructure footprint, reinforcing the Company’s unique capability to connect resilient navigation networks and operate systems seamlessly across cislunar space. The financial framework of the award includes:

A $68.6 million base contract for mission execution utilizing a lander with proven lunar flight heritage.A $79.7 million performance incentive for the successful demonstration of product-line qualification, guaranteeing a steady, rapid-turnaround supply of landers. Under this award, Intuitive Machines will deliver essential scientific and operational payloads to the lunar surface. These include advanced stereo cameras to analyze surface-plume interactions (SCALPSS), a laser retroreflector array (LRA) for precise cislunar positioning, and a Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer (LETS) radiation monitor to gather critical environmental safety data.

With this sixth Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order, Intuitive Machines solidifies its position as a primary commercial logistics and transport pipeline to the lunar surface. By managing a large share of commercial lander volume, the Company validates its role as a foundational access layer serving civil, national security, and commercial clients alike.

About Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines is a leading space infrastructure company that builds spacecraft, connects networks, and operates infrastructure-as-a-service for commercial, civil, and national security customers.

With a proven track record across the space domain, the Company, through organic growth and portfolio expansion, has built over 300 spacecraft, delivered over 260 kilograms of payload to the lunar surface, and provided precision navigation expertise that has guided spacecraft across our solar system.

These capabilities form an integrated Built-Connect-Operate infrastructure service company, enabling customers to achieve mission and campaign outcomes through a single prime solution. Intuitive Machines’ technology has been demonstrated across the space domain and is engineered to support the next century of opportunity in space.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward looking. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “strive,” “would,” “strategy,” “outlook,” the negative of these words or other similar expressions, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements regarding: our expectations and plans relating to our lunar missions, including the expected timing of launch and our progress in preparation thereof; our expectations with respect to, among other things, demand for our product portfolio, our submission of bids for contracts; our expectations regarding revenue for government contracts awarded to us; our operations, including our performance on future lunar missions, our financial performance and our industry; our business strategy, business plan, and plans to drive long-term sustainable shareholder value; information regarding our expectations on revenue generation and cash. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s predictions, projections, or expectations based upon currently available information and data. Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements. The following important factors and uncertainties, among others, could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements in this press release: our factors detailed under the section titled Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the section titled Part I, Item 2, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and the section titled Part II. Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and in our subsequent filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Contacts

For investor inquiries:

[email protected]

For media inquiries:

[email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ecd86c29-5477-4687-b294-813ebd74287f

Key Takeaways Intuitive Machines expanded through acquisitions in navigation, spacecraft manufacturing, and communications.LUNR agreed to acquire Goonhilly Earth Station, adding 44 antennas and deep-space communications assets.LUNR shares rose 7.5% in three months and trade at a forward P/S premium to the industry. Intuitive Machines, Inc. (LUNR - Free Report) has long been associated with lunar landers and NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. However, recent acquisitions suggest management is pursuing a much broader vision.

The acquisition strategy began to accelerate in 2025 when the company acquired KinetX Aerospace, a leader in deep-space navigation and flight dynamics services. It added expertise in spacecraft navigation, mission design, and constellation management. KinetX has supported numerous NASA planetary missions, giving LUNR valuable technical capabilities that complement its lunar operations.

LUNR’s most transformative transaction came in November 2025 when it announced the acquisition of Lanteris Space Systems, formerly Maxar Space Systems, from Advent International. The deal was valued at $800 million, and was closed in January 2026. The business brings decades of spacecraft manufacturing experience and serves national security, civil, and commercial customers.

Lanteris provides proven capabilities in satellite manufacturing, missile-warning systems, secure communications, Earth observation, and space-domain awareness missions. These capabilities position Intuitive Machines to compete for larger defense and civil-space programs while expanding its presence in rapidly growing national security markets.

Management continued its acquisition-driven expansion in May 2026 by announcing plans to acquire Goonhilly Earth Station and its COMSAT subsidiary. The acquisition is expected to add 44 antennas and substantial deep-space communications infrastructure across the United Kingdom and the United States.

Through targeted acquisitions, the company is building capabilities across navigation, manufacturing, communications, and operations. If management successfully integrates these assets, acquisitions could become one of the company's most important drivers of long-term growth.

Space Companies Using Acquisitions to Expand GrowthSeveral space companies have pursued similar acquisition-driven strategies to broaden capabilities and accelerate expansion:

Rocket Lab Corporation (RKLB - Free Report) has acquired businesses across spacecraft components, solar power systems, software, and satellite technologies, helping transform the company from a launch provider into a diversified space systems company.

Redwire Corporation (RDW - Free Report) has completed numerous acquisitions spanning in-space manufacturing, digital engineering, mission systems, and spacecraft technologies, creating a broad portfolio serving commercial and government customers.

LUNR Stock’s Earnings EstimatesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings per share implies a decrease of 2.38% year over year.

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LUNR Stock Trades at a PremiumIn terms of valuation, LUNR’s forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) is 4.09X, a premium to the industry’s average of 2.59X.

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LUNR Stock’s Price PerformanceIn the past three months, the company’s shares have risen 7.5% compared with the industry’s 1.2% growth.

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