The Small Texas Company Leading The Next Wave Of Lunar Exploration

Intuitive Machines, a small Texas company is pioneering the future of Lunar exploration by working to build the next NASA’s lunar rover and with intentions to establish a new lunar economy.

The company, with fewer than 400 employees, made history in February 2024, by becoming the first private company to successfully soft-land a spacecraft on the moon, a feat only achieved by space agencies of the U.S., the former Soviet Union, China, India, and Japan. The mission was notable for landing on the first attempt—a feat not accomplished by other spacefaring nations.

“It’s unprecedented,” Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines told Time in an exclusive interview. “We didn’t do that in Apollo. The Russians didn’t do that. Nobody’s done that. What’s even more impactful and what I think the legacy of the company will be is more than landing on the moon, but creating that economy around the moon.”

Altemus and his company are focused on building infrastructure on and around the moon, including transportation, communications, and navigation services, primarily under NASA’s Artemis program. However, Altemus also expressed plans for the company’s infrastructure and rovers to be used for scientific exploration and commercial use.

“We can search for water ice or for rare minerals or metals. Put those pieces together and we not only can fly to the moon, but communicate, navigate, and actually move out from location. We’re the only company in the world that is doing these pieces like this in this way.”

Altemus also noted that, while about 75% to 80% of their business is with the U.S., Intuitive Machines also work for other clients, and have received interest from the Saudi space agency, the Australian space agency, Germany, Hungary, and the Japanese space agency.

Despite its size, Intuitive Machines competes with industry giants like Boeing and SpaceX by leveraging innovation and cost-effective solutions.

Steve Altemus first became known for his role in NASA’s investigation of the 2003 Columbia disaster, where he led the team analyzing the shuttle’s debris to determine the cause. His work ensured the remaining space shuttles flew safely for years. After leaving NASA, Altemus co-founded Intuitive Machines in 2013. The company is based in Houston.