Intuitive Machines Selects SpaceX to Launch its Fourth Lunar Lander Mission and Lunar Data Relay Satellites

By: Intuitive Machines, LLC via GlobeNewswire

April 08, 2025 at 08:30 AM EDT

HOUSTON, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intuitive Machines, Inc. (Nasdaq: LUNR, LUNRW) (“Intuitive Machines”) (“Company”), a leading space exploration, infrastructure, and services company, has recently selected SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to launch its fourth lunar delivery mission (“IM-4”) from Florida. The IM-4 mission is expected to include the launch of two lunar data relay satellites intended to support NASA’s Near Space Network Services (“NSNS”) contract.

“Lunar surface delivery and data relay satellites are central to our strategy to commercialize the Moon,” said Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus. “In addition to the contracted NSNS service, the satellites are capable of hosting additional payloads and science sensors to serve commercial industry and other government customers. We plan to deploy the first of five lunar data relay satellites on our third mission, which will introduce our pay-by-the-minute service. The two additional satellites on our fourth mission are intended to scale that service, followed by two additional deployments to complete the constellation and fully support NASA and commercial lunar operations.”

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As previously announced, the IM-4 surface delivery mission is currently scheduled for 2027 and is set to carry six NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (“CLPS”) initiative payloads, including a European Space Agency-led drill suite designed to search for water at the lunar south pole.

NASA has awarded Intuitive Machines multiple task orders under the agency’s NSNS contract for communication and navigation services. The awards call for Intuitive Machines to provide Direct-to-Earth (“DTE”) services and a lunar data relay constellation to support NASA’s Artemis campaign.

About Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines is a diversified space technology, infrastructure, and services company focused on fundamentally disrupting lunar access economics. In 2024, Intuitive Machines successfully soft-landed the Company’s Nova-C class lunar lander on the Moon, returning the United States to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972. In 2025, Intuitive Machines returned to the lunar south pole with a second lander. The Company’s products and services are focused through three pillars of space commercialization: Delivery Services, Data Transmission Services, and Infrastructure as a Service. For more information, please visit intuitivemachines.com.

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 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, results and plans relating to our future mission to the Moon and our lunar data relay satellites. 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: any delayed launches, launch failures, failure of our satellites or lunar landers to reach their planned orbital locations, risks associated with commercial spaceflight, including any accident on launch or during the journey into space; risks associated with the handling, production and disposition of potentially explosive and ignitable energetic materials and other dangerous chemicals in our operations; failure of our products to operate in the expected manner or defects in our sub-systems; failure to comply with various laws and regulations relating to various aspects of our business; and other public filings and press releases other factors detailed under 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 our Current Reports on Form 8-K, and in our subsequent filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release and current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks, and uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

Contacts

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