Intuitive Machines, LLC
Intuitive Machines, Houston Spaceport
Intuitive Machines, Inc., a leading space exploration, infrastructure, and services company, today opened its Lunar Production and Operations Center. Located at the Houston Spaceport in Houston, Texas, the Intuitive Machines Lunar Production and Operations Center represents a new lunar access capability for the US, NASA and global commercial partners according to the company.
The new 105,572-square-foot headquarters will serve as the operations center for the company’s lunar program, including the capability to manufacture multiple lunar landers and spacecraft simultaneously. Incorporated into the design of the project, which broke ground in 2021, are 3D printing areas, advanced manufacturing and production spaces, machine shops, research and development laboratories, clean rooms, and large-scale spacecraft assembly areas.
The company says the proximity of the testing facility to its manufacturing operations offers benefits such as savings in testing setup costs and streamlined logistics. It also allows the Intuitive Machines to make adjustments quickly. The company says that with the ability to produce on-demand engine prototypes and parts through technologies such as 3D printing, engineers can now conduct tests on small, incremental changes in engine design.
At a press conference on September 29, Intuitive Machines confirmed its first mission lunar lander, Nova-C, would be shipped from the new facility in the following days ahead of its upcoming launch. This mission to deliver NASA and commercial payloads to the Moon’s south pole marks the United States’ first attempted soft landing since Apollo 17 in 1972 according to the company.
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“The Moon is no longer a distant dream; it’s a destination within our grasp, and this facility is our lunar gateway – a national asset,” said Steve Altemus, Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Intuitive Machines. “We’re proud that the United State’s return to the Moon will leave this facility for launch, and we look forward to working under a roof that matches the technical excellence our employees demonstrate each day.”
Leslie Duke, Burns & McDonnell CEO-elect said: “Our work is always about more than buildings; it is about solving our clients’ challenges. While Burns & McDonnell is not designing or constructing lunar landers, we have built the propulsion, processing, testing, technology, research and manufacturing facilities needed to empower Intuitive Machines to focus safely on opening access to the Moon for the progress of humanity.”
“The opening of Intuitive Machines’ facility at the Houston Spaceport was made possible by the tireless support of teammates like Burns & McDonnell, the Houston Airport System, and Griffin Partners,” said Jack Fischer, Vice President of Production and Operations at Intuitive Machines. “The thought and support provided by our partners built a perfect home that can grow with us, removing barriers for our company to reach its potential. In that spirit, we’ve left several walls that are simply white; they are empty pages in a future history book. One which we look forward to writing from our new home in Space City.”
