Houston’s Intuitive Machines has won a NASA contract to support the agency’s lunar relay systems as part of the Near Space Network.
The Subcategory 2.2 GEO to Cislunar Relay Services is a new firm-fixed-price, multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order contract. The contract has a base period of five years with an additional five-year option period, with a maximum potential value of USD4.82 billion. The base ordering period begins October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2029, with the option period potentially extending the contract through September 30, 2034.
NASA says lunar relays will play an essential role in its Artemis campaign to establish a long-term presence on the Moon. The relays will provide vital communication and navigation services for the exploration and scientific study of the Moon’s South Pole region.
Without the extended coverage offered by lunar relays, landing opportunities at the Moon’s South Pole will be significantly limited due to the lack of direct communication between potential landing sites and ground stations on Earth.
The lunar relay award also includes services to support position, navigation, and timing capabilities, which are crucial for ensuring the safety of navigation on and around the lunar surface. Under the contract, Intuitive Machines will enable NASA to provide communication and navigation services to customer missions in the near space region.
The initial task award will support the progressive validation of lunar relay capabilities/services for Artemis. NASA anticipates these lunar relay services will be used with human landing systems, the lunar terrain vehicle, and commercial lunar payload services flights.
As lunar relay services become fully operational, they will be integrated into the Near Space Network’s expanding portfolio, improving communications and navigation support for future lunar missions. By implementing these new capabilities, reliance on NASA’s Deep Space Network will be reduced.
NASA’s goal is to provide users with communication and navigation services that are secure, reliable, and affordable.
The contract is another example of NASA partnering with US industry to build commercial space partners to support NASA missions, including NASA’s long-term Moon to Mars objectives for interoperable communications and navigation capabilities.
This award is part of the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program and will be executed by the Near Space Network team at NASA Goddard.
