Intuitive Machines, a leading space technology and infrastructure services company, announced it has submitted its proposal for the next phase of NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services (LTVS) contract to build, fly, and operate the Intuitive Machines-led Moon RACER vehicle on the Moon. NASA is expected to announce the LTV delivery and demonstration award by the end of 2025.

Key Technical Achievements Since April 2024

Intuitive Machines’ Moon RACER team proposal builds on more than a year of integrated design, engineering, and testing following the Company’s $30 million award in April 2024 to conduct an LTV feasibility assessment. Since winning NASA’s LTV feasibility assessment in April 2024, Intuitive Machines and its Moon RACER team have: 

• Designed the initial static terrestrial mock-up with input from Apollo-era moonwalkers Charlie Duke and Harrison Schmitt in September 2024. 
• Unveiled the terrestrial drivable mock-up at Space Center Houston in November 2024 and completed field testing for mobility and robotics in October 2024.
• Improved Human-in-the-Loop Testing: Conducted Crew Assessment Testing and Safety (CATS) at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in late 2024, with Artemis astronauts evaluating the terrestrial LTV mock-up. Their feedback drove targeted modifications—such as improved ingress/egress, incapacitated crew rescue capability, and refined science stowage—which were validated in follow-on CATS sessions.  
• Integrated Autonomous Navigation: Integration of a scanning LiDAR system with autonomy software, enabling Moon RACER to safely navigate uncrewed across complex terrain. Demonstrated at NASA’s Johnson Space Center rock yard in April 2025.  
• Activated High-Fidelity Simulation: Activation of a six-degrees-of-freedom driver-in-the-loop simulator, replicating 1/6th gravity conditions and terrain from lunar reconnaissance imagery. The simulator accelerates design validation, de-risks physical builds, and serves as an astronaut training tool.  
• Completed Preliminary Design Review: Successfully completed in May 2025, validating that Moon RACER’s system-level design aligns with NASA’s requirements for durability, safety, and performance at the Moon’s South Pole. 

Paired with the Intuitive Machines’ cargo-class lander, lunar-validated data transmission network, and compatibility with flight-proven launch systems, Intuitive Machines believes Moon RACER offers a complete surface mobility service—delivering, operating, and maintaining rover services for up to 10 years.

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