Intuitive Machines Taps SpaceX For 2027 Lunar Mission, Stock Gains

Shares of space exploration company Intuitive Machines Inc. LUNR are trading higher on Tuesday, after the company said it will launch its fourth mission to the Moon using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The upcoming lunar delivery, dubbed IM-4, will lift off from Florida and is scheduled to carry a suite of communication assets and scientific instruments as part of its partnership with NASA.

The IM-4 mission contributes to Intuitive Machines’ continued efforts supporting NASA's Near Space Network Services (NSNS) program.

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Through the NSNS contract awards, Intuitive Machines has been tasked with developing both direct-to-Earth (DTE) transmission capabilities and a lunar satellite relay network.

Scheduled for liftoff in 2027, the mission will deploy a pair of lunar relay satellites to strengthen communication systems for future Artemis operations.

“Lunar surface delivery and data relay satellites are central to our strategy to commercialize the Moon,” said CEO Steve Altemus.

As part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, IM-4 will deliver six NASA-backed payloads to the Moon's surface.

These include scientific instruments to explore the Moon's south pole region, notably a European Space Agency-led drilling system intended to search for subsurface water.

In 2024, Intuitive Machines successfully landed on the Moon with its Nova-C lander. This marked the first U.S. lunar landing since 1972.

The company followed up with a second mission to the Moon's south pole in 2025. During the second mission, the company’s IM-2 lunar lander Athena faced technical challenges during its moon landing.

The Athena landed on its side 250 meters away from its intended site. This created issues with power generation and measurements from the laser range finders.

Intuitive Machines’ fourth-quarter revenue jumped 79% to $54.66 million and the company expects 2025 revenue to be in the range of $250 million to $300 million versus estimates of $342.47 million.

Price Action: LUNR shares traded higher by 10.5% at $7.87 at last check on Tuesday.

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