Intuitive Machines receives $8.2M AFRL contract for nuclear power tech

Intuitive Machines Inc. (NASDAQ: LUNR) announced it received an $8.2 million contract extension from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate to develop nuclear power systems for spacecraft and lunar infrastructure.

The Houston-based space technology company will use the funding to advance compact nuclear power conversion technology designed to overcome solar power limitations during extended missions on the Moon and in deep space. The contract builds on Intuitive Machines' previous $9.5 million AFRL program that included designing a Stirling-based power conversion system, which transforms heat from a radioisotope source into electricity.

The company completed a Preliminary Design Review in September under the earlier program. The new funding will enable Intuitive Machines to prepare the system for flight testing, marking progress toward demonstrating space-based nuclear power in orbit.

Current solar power systems face limitations in harsh space environments, including the two-week lunar night where temperatures drop below -200 degrees Fahrenheit. These conditions require supplemental power systems like radioisotope thermoelectric generators or battery banks that add weight and complexity to missions.

The Stirling Technology spAce Research experimenT (START) is designed to demonstrate Stirling power conversion technology aboard the International Space Station National Laboratory. The test aims to raise the technology's readiness level from prototype to space-flown status.

"This award moves us from design to flight hardware, which is a critical step toward proving that compact nuclear power systems can survive and perform in space," said Tim Crain, co-founder and chief growth officer for Intuitive Machines.

The company has also been studying nuclear fission-based systems under a Department of Energy contract with NASA's Fission Surface Power project funding. Intuitive Machines successfully landed a lunar lander on the Moon in 2024, marking the first U.S. lunar surface return since 1972.

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