Texas Space Commission Selects Intuitive Machines to Advance Earth Reentry and Microgravity Biomanufacturing Spacecraft

Rhea-AI Summary

Intuitive Machines has secured a grant up to $10 million from the Texas Space Commission's Space Exploration and Research Fund (SEARF) to develop an Earth reentry vehicle and orbital fabrication lab. The project focuses on enabling microgravity biomanufacturing and will serve as a risk-reduction platform for future lunar sample return missions.

The company has partnered with Rhodium Scientific, a leader in space biomanufacturing, to develop technical approaches for payload integration in both lunar and low Earth orbit missions. Rhodium brings expertise through their Variable Gravity Centrifuge, which has tested over 600 biological samples on the International Space Station.

The 12-month SEARF phase one effort will advance spacecraft development through Critical Design Review and create a full-scale ground prototype. This collaboration aims to create high-tech jobs, expand Texas' leadership in space commercialization, and establish new industries. Intuitive Machines, which successfully landed on the Moon in 2024 and returned in 2025, operates through four business units: Lunar Access Services, Orbital Services, Lunar Data Services, and Space Products and Infrastructure.

Positive

• Secured up to $10 million grant from Texas Space Commission for Earth reentry vehicle development
• Strategic partnership with Rhodium Scientific for commercial microgravity biomanufacturing
• Successfully landed Nova-C lunar lander in 2024, marking first US Moon landing since 1972
• Completed second Moon mission in 2025
• Diversified revenue streams across four business units: Lunar Access, Orbital Services, Lunar Data Services, and Space Products

Negative

• 12-month development phase with no guaranteed revenue generation
• Additional funding likely needed beyond initial $10M grant for flight readiness
• Significant technical and operational risks associated with spacecraft development
• Competitive pressures in emerging space technology market

Insights

Financial Analyst

Intuitive Machines secures up to $10M in non-dilutive funding for reentry vehicle development, expanding its lunar commercialization capabilities.

Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ: LUNR) has secured up to $10 million in non-dilutive funding from the Texas Space Commission's Space Exploration and Research Fund to develop Earth reentry vehicle technology and orbital fabrication capabilities for microgravity biomanufacturing. This grant expands the company's space infrastructure offerings while supporting their lunar sample return mission capabilities.

The funding structure is advantageous as it provides R&D capital without shareholder dilution. However, this represents just the initial phase one funding, advancing the project through Critical Design Review and prototype creation over a 12-month period. The company explicitly indicates this foundational work aims to "pave the way for future grants," signaling additional capital requirements before full commercialization.

Strategically, this technology development addresses a capability gap in the company's lunar commercialization roadmap. By developing Earth reentry systems, Intuitive Machines positions itself to offer more comprehensive lunar services - not just delivering payloads to the Moon (which they've demonstrated with successful landings in 2024 and 2025) but eventually returning valuable materials to Earth.

The partnership with Rhodium Scientific adds complementary expertise in space-based biomanufacturing, potentially opening additional commercial applications. Rhodium brings established credibility with their Variable Gravity Centrifuge that has tested over 600 biological samples within one year.

While the immediate financial impact is limited to the grant funding itself, the long-term strategic positioning enhances Intuitive Machines' competitive profile in the expanding lunar commercialization landscape.

Space Technology Expert

The grant advances critical reentry capabilities, positioning Intuitive Machines uniquely in the lunar return logistics chain with dual commercial applications.

The Texas Space Commission's $10 million grant represents a significant technical milestone in commercializing lunar sample return capabilities. Earth reentry vehicles require sophisticated thermal protection systems, precision guidance, and robust containment technologies – engineering challenges historically tackled by government space agencies.

The technical synergy between lunar sample return and microgravity biomanufacturing is strategically sound. Both applications require secure sample preservation, controlled environmental conditions, and safe Earth reentry. This dual-use approach efficiently leverages R&D resources across multiple potential revenue streams.

Intuitive Machines builds upon their demonstrated lunar landing success, with successful missions in both 2024 and 2025 confirming their technical credibility for the equally challenging return journey. The company's preliminary design work began in 2022, explaining how they can target Critical Design Review within the 12-month timeline of this phase one funding.

The partnership with Rhodium Scientific introduces expertise in biological payload handling, addressing unique requirements for temperature control, containment, and preservation during reentry. Rhodium's Variable Gravity Centrifuge provides validated testing for biological samples under different gravity environments – essential knowledge for designing effective sample return systems.

Few commercial entities possess both demonstrated lunar mission capabilities and Earth return technology development, potentially creating substantial barriers to entry in this specialized market segment. This positions Intuitive Machines advantageously as lunar commercialization continues to expand beyond initial landing services.

HOUSTON, April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Texas Space Commission has selected Intuitive Machines, Inc. (Nasdaq: LUNR) (“Intuitive Machines”) (“Company”), a leading space technology, infrastructure, and services company, for a grant up to $10 million from the Space Exploration and Research Fund (“SEARF”). This funding supports the development of an Earth reentry vehicle and orbital fabrication lab designed to enable microgravity biomanufacturing and is intended to serve as a critical risk-reduction platform for the Company’s future lunar sample return missions.

“Returning samples from space is one of the most complex challenges in exploration,” said Intuitive Machines Chief Growth Officer Tim Crain, Ph.D. “We are grateful to the State of Texas for fostering an environment where companies like Intuitive Machines may develop transformative space technologies. We hope that the Texas Space Commission’s investment in this capability helps create high-tech jobs, expand Texas’ leadership in space commercialization, and lay the foundation for new industries in the Lone Star State.”

Caption: Render of Intuitive Machines’ Earth reentry vehicle designed to securely return payloads to Earth’s surface as part of the company’s long-term lunar commercialization strategy. Image credit: Intuitive Machines.

In 2022, Intuitive Machines began initial development of the preliminary design for an Earth reentry vehicle capable of supporting missions returning from low Earth orbit, the Moon, or Mars. As Intuitive Machines refined this technology, it partnered with Rhodium Scientific, for commercial microgravity biomanufacturing in space, where certain materials, processes, and pharmaceuticals can be more efficiently produced or exhibit unique properties not possible on Earth.

“Rhodium Scientific is a leader in biomanufacturing in space,” said Rhodium Scientific Founder and CEO Olivia Gámez Holzhaus. “Our work as performers perfecting our processes for in-space biomanufacturing with DTRA and DARPA has enabled us to establish all hardware and protocols necessary for a pipeline to develop and scale biomanufacturing in space.”

Caption: Rhodium’s Variable Gravity Centrifuge, an industry-leading International Space Station flight facility capable of producing Lunar, Martian and Earth gravity equivalent forces having tested over 600 biological samples within one year. Image Credit: Rhodium Scientific.

Together, Intuitive Machines and Rhodium Scientific are developing and managing technical approaches to payload integration for both lunar and low Earth orbit missions, including safe reentry through Earth’s atmosphere. The 12-month SEARF phase one effort will assist in advancing the collaboration with Rhodium Scientific and will support spacecraft development through Critical Design Review and the creation of a full-scale ground prototype for customer development. The Company believes this foundational phase and its partnership with Rhodium Scientific will pave the way for future grants and large-scale projects to bring the reentry system closer to flight readiness.

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 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.   The Company returned to the Moon again in 2025. The Company’s products and services are offered through its four in-space business units: Lunar Access Services, Orbital Services, Lunar Data Services, and Space Products and Infrastructure. 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 advance earth reentry and microgravity biomanufacturing spacecraft. 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

For investor inquiries:

investors@intuitivemachines.com

For media inquiries:

press@intuitivemachines.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ddd83c85-3de4-4cdf-8331-c264341db42c

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FAQ

What is the value of Texas Space Commission's grant to Intuitive Machines (LUNR) in 2025?

The Texas Space Commission selected Intuitive Machines (LUNR) for a grant up to $10 million from the Space Exploration and Research Fund (SEARF) to develop an Earth reentry vehicle and orbital fabrication lab.

How will LUNR use the Texas Space Commission grant for space manufacturing?

LUNR will partner with Rhodium Scientific to develop Earth reentry vehicles for microgravity biomanufacturing, supporting both lunar and low Earth orbit missions, with the 12-month phase one effort advancing through Critical Design Review and creating a full-scale ground prototype.

What is the partnership between Intuitive Machines (LUNR) and Rhodium Scientific?

Intuitive Machines and Rhodium Scientific are collaborating to develop payload integration approaches for lunar and low Earth orbit missions, including safe reentry capabilities, with Rhodium bringing expertise in space biomanufacturing through their Variable Gravity Centrifuge technology.

When did Intuitive Machines (LUNR) begin developing Earth reentry vehicle technology?

Intuitive Machines began initial development of the preliminary design for an Earth reentry vehicle in 2022, capable of supporting missions returning from low Earth orbit, the Moon, or Mars.

What are LUNR's recent achievements in lunar missions as of 2025?

Intuitive Machines successfully landed their Nova-C class lunar lander on the Moon in 2024, marking the first U.S. lunar landing since 1972, and completed a second Moon mission in 2025.