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Intuitive Machines wins NASA FALCON-RADAR work

NEWS

November 3, 2026 at 14:44 UTC

3 min read
Unbranded radar Earth-observation satellite over clouds, evoking NASA FALCON-RADAR mission work for LUNR

Key Points

  • 01NASA JPL selects Intuitive Machines (LUNR) for FALCON-RADAR spacecraft platform and integration
  • 02FALCON-RADAR will use the IM 300 bus and target launch no earlier than 2029
  • 03Mission will carry a W-Band radar to study clouds, convection, and light precipitation
  • 04FALCON-RADAR is Intuitive Machines (LUNR)’ third NASA Earth science mission in six months

NASA taps Intuitive Machines for FALCON-RADAR platform

Intuitive Machines has been selected by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to provide the spacecraft platform and system-level integration for FALCON-RADAR, an Earth observation mission that will study clouds and convection from space. The mission will fly on the company’s IM 300 spacecraft bus and is targeted for launch no earlier than 2029. No award value or expected revenue was disclosed.

FALCON-RADAR is part of the Fleet for the Atmospheric Linking Commercial Observations with NASA and will operate as a single polar-orbiting, sun-synchronous satellite. The spacecraft will carry a W-Band Cloud Profiling Doppler Radar instrument designed to observe shallow light precipitation and small-scale cloud dynamics, providing focused measurements of cloud processes.

Mission role in NASA’s FALCON Earth science fleet

Within the broader FALCON fleet, FALCON-RADAR will supply two-dimensional cloud context and detect convection. Its data are intended to enable deeper atmospheric science analysis and offer insight into weather patterns that help profile processes responsible for rain and snow near Earth’s surface. In conjunction with water vapor and aerosol measurements from other missions, the mission’s observations will contribute to a more complete picture of cloud and precipitation behavior.

The millimeter-wavelength radar technology flown on FALCON-RADAR may also support advances toward Moon and Mars applications. Together with another mission in the fleet, the two missions are expected to provide complementary science data to the Earth science community.

Collaboration with EAGLE-VSWIR and expanding NASA portfolio

The FALCON-RADAR spacecraft is being developed in collaboration with EAGLE-VSWIR, another NASA mission awarded to Intuitive Machines. The two missions are intended to provide complementary science data, leveraging shared spacecraft architecture while pursuing different measurement objectives. For EAGLE-VSWIR, Intuitive Machines’ agreement covers platform delivery, instrument integration, mission operations, and the ground segment, while the FALCON-RADAR work specifies platform and system-level integration.

Intuitive Machines describes FALCON-RADAR as its third mission in the past six months supporting NASA’s Earth science objectives. Alongside FALCON-RADAR and EAGLE-VSWIR, the company is providing an IM 500 spacecraft bus, system-level integration, and mission solutions for NASA’s EDGE (Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer) mission, managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The awards extend the company’s role across both the IM 300 and IM 500 platform families.

Intuitive Machines’ platform strategy and capabilities

The IM 300 series platform used for FALCON-RADAR features a modular core bus designed to accommodate different payloads and mission profiles. Production for this platform is based at a facility in Palo Alto, California, built for serial spacecraft manufacturing rather than one-off builds. This approach enables the same bus architecture to support national security, civil space, and Earth science programs.

Chief Executive Officer Steve Altemus stated that Intuitive Machines’ reliable and modular platforms align with NASA’s goal of delivering more science on faster timelines. He emphasized that the company combines spacecraft manufacturing at scale with deep mission systems and integration expertise, positioning Earth science missions as a natural fit for its capabilities.

Key Takeaways

  • 01FALCON-RADAR adds a new, defined NASA Earth science mission to Intuitive Machines (LUNR)’ workload, though its financial scale remains undisclosed.
  • 02The mission deepens NASA’s ability to analyze clouds, convection, and light precipitation by pairing W-Band radar data with measurements from other satellites.
  • 03Intuitive Machines is leveraging a common IM 300 architecture across multiple programs, supporting serial production and varied mission profiles.
  • 04Recent awards for FALCON-RADAR, EAGLE-VSWIR, and EDGE show the company’s platform and integration services being used across both IM 300 and IM 500 families.

References

  1. https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/intuitive-machines-selected-spacecraft-platform-130000856.html?.tsrc=rss
  2. https://ca.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/intuitive-machines-wins-nasa-contract-for-cloud-observation-mission-93CH-4925562
  3. https://www.securities.io/intuitive-machines-wins-nasa-jpl-platform-work-for-falcon-radar/
  4. https://jp.investing.com/news/company-news/article-93CH-1739035
Intuitive Machines wins NASA FALCON-RADAR work | Trading Dashboard