NASA has awarded Intuitive Machines a $116.9 million contract to deliver six science and technology payloads to the South Pole of the Moon, including a European Space Agency-led drilling array, enhancing its lunar servicing capabilities. This contract strengthens Intuitive Machines’ capabilities in autonomous lunar exploration, cementing its role as a key partner in NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services(CLPS) initiative.
A direct improvement in lunar service capabilities.
This is the fourth contract that Intuitive Machines has received under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services(CLPS) initiative, reinforcing the agency’s confidence in the company’s capabilities to deliver critical payloads and return valuable data while operating autonomously on the lunar surface.
“In recent years, we have witnessed the success of NASA’s Artemis I mission and the progress of the campaign to return humans sustainably to the surface of the Moon, highlighting the importance of autonomous missions that advance humanity’s understanding of the Moon and the commercial services needed to support the industry.”
Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines.
Altermus, for its part, expressed enthusiasm for the contract, highlighting the importance of autonomous missions in advancing lunar exploration and supporting future sustained human operations on the Moon.“Intuitive Machines looks forward to working closely with NASA to achieve mission success once again,” Altemus said.
Among the payloads to be delivered are the Resource Observation and In Situ Prospecting for Exploration, Characterization and Testing(PROSPECT) Resource Observation and Prospecting Package, a laser retroreflector array(LRA), and the Surface Exosphere Alterations by Landers(SEAL) project, among others. For example, PROSPECT, led by the European Space Agency, will extract samples from the lunar subsurface to identify possible volatile substances, such as water or gas, while LRA, managed by the NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Space Flight Center, will serve as a permanent location marker on the Moon.
This contract includes the delivery of a Fluxgate Magnetometer(MAG), which will characterize magnetic fields on the lunar surface, and a compact Lunar Infrared Imaging System(L-CIRiS), designed to explore the composition of the lunar surface and map the temperature distribution. This system is managed by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Space company tests and trials. Source: Intuitive Machines
Intuitive Machinesis in the final assembly phase of its second lunar mission, with plans to deliver the lander by the end of 2024. In parallel, the company is moving forward with its third lunar mission, strengthening its ability to handle multiple complex space exploration projects.
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Source: Intuitive Machines
Photo: NASA
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