The award of a NASA contract worth up to $4.82 billion has cemented Intuitive Machines Inc.’s position as a key partner in the space agency’s ambitious plans for lunar exploration, according to analyst firm Benchmark.

According to Intuitive Machines, the award is a Near Space Network (NSN) contract for missions in the near-space region, which extends from the Earth's surface to beyond the Moon. It will also mark the debut of Intuitive Machines' lunar satellite constellation.