WASHINGTON — Intuitive Machines says it has recognized a number of adjustments it can make to its Nova-C lunar lander forward of its second mission late this 12 months.
In a Could 14 earnings name, Steve Altemus, chief government of Intuitive Machines, mentioned the corporate will improve communications, monitoring and touchdown techniques primarily based on the teachings from the corporate’s IM-1 mission in February, which landed however tipped over practically on its aspect.
These upgrades are primarily based on an inside overview of the efficiency of the IM-1 mission. “The overview resulted in software program and {hardware} developments that we consider develop our technical functionality to trace our automobile precisely in house and land with 20 instances higher precision on our subsequent mission,” he mentioned.
Different adjustments, he mentioned, contain “technical changes” to communications with the lander and orbit willpower. That features altering the configuration of antennas on the lander to enhance bandwidth and communications continuity, in keeping with his presentation.
These adjustments might be integrated into the corporate’s second lander mission, IM-2, scheduled for launch late this 12 months. “The technical enhancements for IM-2 are vertically built-in capabilities inside the firm that we are able to carry out with little or no impression on our supposed quarter 4 2024 launch date or require any further capital funding whereas we proceed meeting of the flight automobile.”
He didn’t elaborate on these adjustments, however his presentation famous “extra sturdy check and verification processes” for the IM-2 lander. On the IM-1 mission, the corporate did not disable a security change on a laser rangefinder on the lander earlier than launch, which saved it from getting used as supposed throughout touchdown. Firm executives mentioned shortly after the touchdown that had the rangefinders been working, they consider they might have had a completely profitable touchdown.
The corporate can also be engaged on a 3rd lander, IM-3, which it plans to launch in 2025. All three missions have NASA as an anchor buyer although the company’s Business Lunar Payload Companies (CLPS) program.
With a niche in CLPS missions after IM-3, Altemus mentioned that the corporate is planning to fly a completely business mission after IM-3. “We’ve signed contracts with a number of payloads that we now have been aggregating and holding,” he mentioned, with sufficient in place to permit the corporate to proceed with a business mission because it continues to enroll further clients for it.
Flying the mission, he mentioned, would additionally enable the corporate to take care of a cadence of lunar lander missions between IM-3 and the following potential CLPS mission, a job order to be awarded by NASA later this quarter for launch in 2027.
Intuitive Machines touted different avenues for development, similar to successful one in every of three NASA Lunar Terrain Automobile Companies research contracts in April, a primary part that might result in a doubtlessly a lot bigger award to develop a lunar rover for future Artemis missions. The corporate can also be awaiting a possible award from NASA for its Close to Area Community Companies program, the place the company will procure communications companies for missions on and across the moon.
Altemus added that the corporate plans to submit a proposal to NASA for trade research for a revised Mars Pattern Return program that might deliver again samples cached by the Perseverance rover sooner and fewer expensively than the company’s personal baseline plan. “Intuitive Machines has engaged the company and intends to supply an answer set primarily based on a expertise structure we now have been growing for lunar materials return,” he mentioned, with out elaborating.
The corporate reported $73.1 million of income within the quarter, far greater than the $18.2 million in the identical quarter a 12 months in the past. The vast majority of that income, greater than $40 million, got here from the corporate’s OMES III engineering companies contract it has with NASA within the first full quarter of that contract, mentioned Steve Vontur, appearing chief monetary officer.
Intuitive Machines had a internet lack of $5.4 million within the quarter, an enchancment on the $14 million loss within the first quarter of 2023. The corporate had a money stability of $55.2 million as of the tip of the quarter, which Vontur mentioned could be adequate for the corporate via the remainder of the 12 months. The corporate is forecasting revenues of between $200 million and $240 million for 2024.
