Tech company from Space City could make 1st commercial soft moon landing in November

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Houston company could soon claim the world's first soft commercial moon landing.

Intuitive Machines constructed the Nova-C Lunar Lander. The 14-foot lander will transport technology from NASA to the moon, along with commercial projects. Universities are sending technology, and even private art will be transported.

"It's like a rideshare," Dr. Tim Crain, Intuitive Machines chief technology officer, explained.

The lander will likely be transported to Florida this week. It is slated to launch in mid-November. The mission is the first of several that will transport cargo and collect data ahead of human exploration.

"We're building a blueprint to put the infrastructure in and around the moon to allow commercialization on the moon - allow commercial companies to make a living with respect to the moon and to help the government provide systems to sustain humans on the moon. If we do that and demonstrate that blueprint at the moon - there's nothing stopping us from putting that blueprint in place around Mars to replace the aging infrastructure," Steve Altemus, Intuitive Machines CEO, said.

The goal is to scale.

"To take heavier and heavier cargo. So if you need a power plant on the moon, we can supply that," Altemus explained.

The November launch will be the first through NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) in an effort to commercialize the space industry to cut costs for taxpayers.

The company set a goal to keep the project under $100 million.

"We're competing against others to drive the price down to force innovation to make sure we can get it to a point that's affordable," Altemus said.

If successful, the lander will be the first United States spacecraft to make a soft landing on the moon since 1972.

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