Intuitive Machines (LUNR.US) soars over 57% in after-hours trading! Awarded a NASA contract worth $4.82 billion.

Intuitive Machines (LUNR.US) surged more than 57% in after-hours trading on the US stock market on Tuesday, reaching $8.50 per share. In terms of news, Intuitive Machines announced that it has been awarded a nearly $4.82 billion contract by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for a near-space network to provide communication and navigation services for missions extending from Earth's surface to beyond the moon. The contract has a base period of five years with an option to extend for another five years. It is crucial for NASA to have satellite relays extending from Earth synchronous orbit to near the moon orbit to achieve the near-term goal of human landing on the lunar south pole by the end of this decade. According to NASA, there are limited landing opportunities in this area of the moon for direct communication with Earth ground stations. In addition to manned missions, lunar relays can provide new capabilities for unmanned missions, such as remote or autonomous operation of rovers, as well as provide navigation services and improve data transfer rates for payloads on the lunar surface. Senior analyst Andres Sheppard from Cantor Fitzgerald stated, "We believe today's victory is an important validation of Intuitive Machines' prospects and its ability to continue winning more contracts." CEO Steve Altemus of Intuitive Machines stated, "This contract marks a turning point for Intuitive Machines in the space communication and navigation field." "We are excited to work with NASA as a team to support the Artemis program and strive to expand the lunar economy." Data shows that the Artemis program is a US government-funded manned spaceflight program with the goal of safely landing astronauts on the moon and returning them by 2024, establishing a sustainable presence to pave the way for future manned missions to Mars. The Artemis program is led by NASA and involves multiple US commercial space companies and international partners. So far this year, Intuitive Machines' stock price has risen over 111%. In February, the Nova-C lander manufactured by Intuitive Machines landed successfully on the moon's south pole region with SpaceX's Falcon 9, marking the first privately-owned lunar landing in human history and achieving another milestone in commercial spaceflight. NASA only paid $118 million for this lunar landing, marking its return to the moon after half a century.