SpaceMiningData
CompanyUnited StatesActive

Intuitive Machines

Houston lunar lander company (Nasdaq: LUNR) whose IM-2 lander Athena carried NASA's PRIME-1 ice-drill and mass-spectrometer suite, Lunar Outpost's MAPP rover and IM's own Grace hopper to the south polar region in March 2025; the lander came to rest on its side and the mission ended the next day. NASA awarded it a further $180.4 million CLPS delivery in March 2026 that includes volatile-measuring instruments, targeted for 2030.

Targeted

Resources and evidence

Each resource shows the highest step primary sources support. How the ladder works.

ResourceEvidenceMeaning
Water iceTargetedmission aimed at it
VolatilesTargetedmission aimed at it

Demonstrated

Delivered IM-2 (launched 2025-02-26) to the Mons Mouton region; per IM, the lander landed inside a crater on its side, some payload milestones including NASA's PRIME-1 suite were accelerated before the batteries depleted, and the mission ended 2025-03-07. NASA states the drill demonstrated its range of motion but the lander's orientation prevented full drill operation; MSOLO detected gases likely from the lander's own propulsion. IM's Grace hopper (carrying DLR's LRAD radiometer, meant to demonstrate water-ice detection methods in a shadowed crater) did not complete its hops. No lunar resource was sampled or measured in situ.

Claimed or planned

IM will deliver a NASA CLPS payload suite to the south polar region targeted for 2030 that includes MSolo, which NASA says measures volatiles 'which can be used as resources', and NIRVSS (ice detection).

Facts

Headquarters
United States
Type
Company
Status
Activeas of 2026-05-26. NASA award of 2026-03-27 ($180.4 million CLPS delivery) and NASA's 2026-05-26 Moon Base update naming IM's Nova-C 'Trinity' lander for Moon Base III.
Roles
Lander / transport
Targets
Moon
Also known as
Intuitive Machines, Inc.; LUNR
Website
www.intuitivemachines.com

Missions

6 records
MissionRoleLaunchPhaseOutcome
Intuitive Machines IM-2 (Athena lander)SpacecraftOperator2025-02-26EndedPartial
Lunar Outpost Lunar Voyage 1 (MAPP rover on IM-2)PayloadCarrier2025-02-26EndedFailure
PRIME-1 (Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1)PayloadCarrier2025-02-26EndedPartial
DeepSpace-2SpacecraftCarrierPlanned 2027 (target)
Date details

Announcement date not recorded. Record checked 2026-09-26.

In developmentNot applicable
PROSPECT (Package for Resource Observation, in-Situ Prospecting for Exploration, Characterisation & Testing)PayloadCarrierPlanned 2027 (target)
Date details

Announcement date not recorded. Record checked 2026-09-25.

ManifestedNot applicable
Intuitive Machines CLPS south-pole delivery (2026 award, 2030 target)SpacecraftOperatorPlanned 2030 (target)
Date details

Announcement date not recorded. Record checked 2026-09-25.

AnnouncedNot applicable

Dated events

Amounts are shown one at a time as each source states them. They are never added together.

  1. 2026-03-27

    NASA CLPS award to Intuitive Machines for a 2030 south-pole delivery ($180.4 million)

    Government awardIntuitive MachinesWith Intuitive Machines CLPS south-pole delivery (2026 award, 2030 target), National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationUSD 180,400,000 (official award record)

    NASA awarded Intuitive Machines $180.4 million to deliver seven payloads to the south polar region, targeted for 2030, including volatile- and ice-measuring instruments.

    Sources (2)
    1. [1]NASA Selects Intuitive Machines to Deliver Artemis Science, Tech to Moon
      NASAGovernment recordPublished 2026-03-27Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: amount, date
      NASA has awarded Intuitive Machines of Houston, $180.4 million to deliver NASA-funded science and technology to the lunar surface
      Quote matched the source text when accessed.
    2. [2]NASA Selects Intuitive Machines to Deliver Artemis Science, Tech to Moon
      NASAGovernment recordPublished 2026-03-27Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: resources
      MSolo measures low molecular weight volatiles, which can be used as resources on the lunar surface.
      Quote matched the source text when accessed.

Open evidence gaps

  • Founding year not raw-confirmed (IM website is a JavaScript app; investor site and SEC EDGAR refused raw fetches).
  • IM investor-relations originals return HTTP 403 to raw fetch; IM statements confirmed via verbatim newswire syndication.
  • No funding/IPO event recorded: the 2023 SPAC listing was not confirmed against a fetchable filing.

Sources

7 sources
  1. [1]Intuitive Machines Executes Southernmost Lunar Landing and Operates Payloads (verbatim GlobeNewswire syndication of the company release)
    Intuitive Machines via GlobeNewswire (syndicated by The Manila Times)Company statementPublished 2025-03-07Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: resource activity demonstrated
    Images downlinked from Athena on the lunar surface confirmed that Athena was on her side.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  2. [2]Intuitive Machines Executes Southernmost Lunar Landing and Operates Payloads (investor-relations original; returned HTTP 403 to raw fetch)
    Intuitive MachinesCompany statementPublished 2025-03-07Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: resource activity demonstrated
    Images downlinked from Athena on the lunar surface confirmed that Athena was on her side.
    Quote not machine-matched.
  3. [3]NASA Receives Some Data Before Intuitive Machines Ends Lunar Mission (release 25-025)
    NASAGovernment recordPublished 2025-03-07Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: resource activity demonstrated
    Intuitive Machines said images collected later confirmed the lander was on its side, preventing it from fully operating the drill and other instruments before its batteries were depleted.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  4. [4]New lunar mission to demonstrate search for water ice at Moon's south pole
    German Aerospace Center (DLR)Government recordPublished 2025-02-26Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: resource activity demonstrated
    It will also demonstrate methods for detecting water ice deposits in other regions.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  5. [5]NASA Selects Intuitive Machines to Deliver Artemis Science, Tech to Moon
    NASAGovernment recordPublished 2026-03-27Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: resource activity claimed, resources
    MSolo measures low molecular weight volatiles, which can be used as resources on the lunar surface.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  6. [6]NASA Selects Intuitive Machines to Deliver Artemis Science, Tech to Moon
    NASAGovernment recordPublished 2026-03-27Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: status, headquarters country
    NASA has awarded Intuitive Machines of Houston, $180.4 million to deliver NASA-funded science and technology to the lunar surface
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  7. [7]NASA Provides Update on Moon Base Rovers, Landers, Missions (release 26-046)
    NASAGovernment recordPublished 2026-05-26Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: status
    Its anchor investigation, Lunar Vertex, will fly on Intuitive Machines' Nova-C Trinity lunar lander
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.