Houston, April 29, 2025 (Globe Newswire) – The Texas Space Commission, Intuitive Machines, Inc. (NASDAQ: LUNR) (“Intuitive Machine”) (“Company”), major space technology, infrastructure and service companies have been selected. The funding supports the development of Earth re-entry vehicles and orbital manufacturing labs designed to enable microgravity biomanufacturing, and aims 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 complicated challenges in exploration,” said Dr. Tim Crane, Chief Growth Director of Intuitive Machines. “We are grateful to Texas for promoting the environment where companies that prefer intuitive machines develop transformative space technology. We hope that the Texas Space Commission’s investment in this capacity will expand Texas’ leadership in creating high-tech jobs, space commercialization, and lay the foundation for a new industry for the Lone Star nation.”
Caption: Rendering of an intuitive machinery ground re-entry vehicle designed to firmly return the payload to the surface as part of the company’s long-term monthly commercialization strategy. Image credits: Intuitive machine.
In 2022, the intuitive machine began early development of preliminary designs for Earth’s re-entry vehicles that can assist with missions returning from low Earth orbit, the Moon or Mars. An intuitive machine has improved this technology and partnered with Rhodium Scientific for commercial microgravity biomanufacturing in space, where certain materials, processes and pharmaceuticals can be produced more efficiently or exhibit properties that are impossible on Earth.
“Rhodium Scientific is a leader in space biomanufacturing,” said Olivia Gámez Holzhaus, founder and CEO of Rhodium Scientific. “Our work as performers who perfect the process of in-space bio-manufacturing using DTRA and DARPA has enabled us to establish all the hardware and protocols needed for pipelines to develop and scale bio-manufacturing in space.”
Caption: Rhodium’s variable gravity centrifuge is the industry-leading International Space Station flight facility capable of producing gravity-equivalent forces on the Moon, Mars and Earth, which tested over 600 biological samples within a year. Image credit: Rhodium Scientific.
Intuitive machines and rhodium scientific develop and manage technical approaches for payload integration for both the moon and earth’s orbital missions, including safe re-entry of Earth’s atmosphere streets. The 12-month Searf Phase 1 initiative will help advance collaboration with Rhodium Scientific, supporting spacecraft development through critical design reviews and the creation of full-scale ground prototypes for customer development. The company believes this foundational phase and partnership with rhodium scientific will pave the way for future grants and large-scale projects, bringing the re-entry system closer to flight preparation.
About the intuitive machine
Intuitive machines are a diverse space technology, infrastructure and service company, focusing on fundamentally disrupting the economy of lunar access. In 2024, the intuitive machine landed the company’s NOVA-C class lunar lander on the moon, bringing the US back to the moon for the first time since 1972. In 2025, the company returned to the moon again. For more information, please visit intuitivemachines.com.
Forward-looking statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the revised Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements that are not related to issues of historical fact should be considered positive. These forward-looking statements generally mean the terms “anticipation”, “believe”, “continuation”, “continuation”, “potential”, “expectation”, “intention”, “potential”, “plan”, “potential”, “project”, “effort”, “project”, “effort”, “effort”, “effort”, “effort”, “effort”, “effort”, “struggle”, “and”. The statement is not positive. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our expectations, results and planning related to Earth’s reentry and microgravity bio-manufacturing spacecraft. These forward-looking statements reflect the company’s forecasts, forecasts or expectations based on information and data currently available. Our actual results, performance or results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements, and you should be careful not to undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The following important factors and uncertainties may differ materially from those that are shown by the forward-looking statements in this press release that show actual results and results. Risks related to commercial space lights, including delays in launch, satellite launches, satellite failures, or obstacles to reach orbital locations, and accidents during space flight. Risks associated with the handling, production and disposal of potentially explosive and ignitable energy materials and other dangerous chemicals. Our products are no longer working in the way or defects expected in the subsystem. Not following various laws and regulations relating to various aspects of our business. Other public and press releases Part I, Item 2, discussion and analysis of management’s financial position and results of operations, and other factors detailed in the section entitled Part II. Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q is submitted to the current report on Form 8-K and subsequent filings with the SEC, which can be accessed on the SEC website www.sec.gov.
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contact address
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