NASA awarded Intuitive Machines a long-term contract potentially worth $4.82 billion to develop, launch, and operate a five-satellite communications and navigation network around the moon.

To establish a permanent base on the Moon and explore its surface, NASA needs a 21st century communications infrastructure. It chose a small Houston, Texas-based commercial space company to do the job.

Key Takeaways Intuitive Machines announced it has received a contract worth up to $4.82 billion from NASA to provide communication and navigation services in the near space region.A key part of the agreement is for the company to deploy a constellation of lunar relay satellites to support NASA Artemis moon exploration program.

Intuitive Machines has won a NASA contract worth up to $4.8 billion to provide communications and navigation services at the moon to support Artemis.

NASA wants to establish a permanent human presence on the moon, but right now, astronauts have to be in direct line of sight with Earth to phone home. The space agency is looking to change that with its developing Near Space Network,

Intuitive Machines Lands NASA Contract to Build Earth-Moon Communications Infrastructure

Intuitive Machines is “the leading beneficiary of NASA’s lunar commercialization efforts,” says B. Riley Securities analyst Mike Crawford.

Intuitive Machines, Inc. (NASDAQ: LUNR) is a space exploration company at the forefront of lunar exploration. Intuitive Machines’ stock price is soaring to new heights following the recent award of a NASA contract for communication and navigation services for missions in the near-space region.