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Investing.com -- Intuitive Machines Inc (NASDAQ:LUNR) stock gained 4.5% in Friday’s premarket trading after the space technology company announced an $8.2 million contract extension from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to develop next-generation nuclear power systems.
The new funding will allow Intuitive Machines to advance its spacecraft and lunar infrastructure nuclear power technology from design to flight hardware preparation. This extension builds upon a previous $9.5 million AFRL program that culminated in a successful Preliminary Design Review in September.
The company is developing Stirling-based power conversion systems that transform heat from radioisotope sources into electricity, potentially overcoming limitations of solar power in harsh space environments. The technology is particularly valuable for lunar missions, where the two-week-long lunar night with temperatures below –200 Fahrenheit can prevent solar-powered systems from operating.
"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 plans to demonstrate its Stirling Technology spAce Research experimenT (START) on the International Space Station National Laboratory to raise the technology’s readiness level from prototype to space-flown status, a critical milestone for commercial, civil, and national security acceptance.
Intuitive Machines is also studying high-powered nuclear fission-based systems under contract to the Department of Energy with funding from NASA’s Fission Surface Power project, positioning the company to expand from lunar delivery to commercial infrastructure services on the Moon.
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