Arizona-based KinetX is the only commercial firm certified by NASA for deep space navigation.
Intuitive Machines (LUNR) stock gained 5.5% in premarket trading on Thursday after it agreed to buy deep space navigation services firm KinetX.
Arizona-based KinetX has already been part of NASA and National Security Space missions, Intuitive noted before adding that the company is the only commercial firm certified by NASA for deep space navigation. The company did not disclose the financial terms of the deal, but it is expected to close by the end of 2025.
“Bringing KinetX in-house gives us both: flight-proven deep space navigation expertise and the proprietary software behind some of the most ambitious missions in the solar system,” said Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus.
Deep space navigation is a specialized field within astronomy that enables the guidance of spacecraft to distant locations in the solar system and beyond. It has come under renewed focus as the U.S. plans missions to the Moon and Mars in the near future.
Altemus added that the acquisition will bolster the company’s capabilities to “deliver secure, autonomous data relay and constellation services at scale” and reinforce the firm’s position as a “trusted provider for NASA, National Security Space, and future Mars operations.”
Retail sentiment on Stocktwits about Intuitive Machines was in the ‘bullish’ territory with ‘high’ retail chatter.
The transaction “not only strengthens their hardware/ecosystem but also gives subtle hints that Mars and deep space are in the works,” one user said.
Another user hoped that Intuitive Machines may play a role in landing a nuclear reactor on the moon, as outlined by NASA administrator Sean Duffy earlier this week.
Last month, as per TheFly, brokerage Craig-Hallum initiated coverage of Intuitive Machines with a ‘Buy’ rating after noting that the new NASA budget is actually “excellent” for Intuitive Machines, with significant funding increases and new budget lines for Moon and Mars exploration.
Intuitive Machines’ next mission to the moon, titled IM-3, is scheduled for early 2026.
The stock has fallen 43% this year.
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