Deployable Hopper for Extreme Lunar Surface Access

This notice is provided for information purposes only. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) awarded a firm-fixed price letter contract to Intuitive Machines, LLC to initiate the effort entitled “Deployable Hopper for Extreme Lunar Surface Access.” This award results from a competitive selection under the NASA Headquarters released NASA Research Announcement (NRA) 80HQTR20NOA01, entitled Space Technology – Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion – 2020 (SpaceTech- REDDI-2020), Appendix 80HQTR20NOA01-20STMD_001, Utilizing Public-Private Partnerships to Advance Tipping Point Technologies (“Tipping Point”). The NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) mission is to address key research and technology challenges that will advance revolutionary capabilities for both NASA exploration mission challenges and national needs, and also address the market challenges associated with providing state-of-the-art commercial space products and services. STMD’s focus is on missions beyond low Earth orbit that would enable the return of humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations. The Tipping Point Appendix sought U.S. industry-led proposals for space technology demonstration projects to enable public-private partnerships managed by Programs within STMD to accelerate co-development of key capabilities for the effective utilization and exploration of space. Under this effort, Intuitive Machines, LLC will develop and demonstrate a small robotic hopper, deployed as a secondary payload from the Nova-C lander, that can provide access to extreme environments and locations of interest on the lunar surface.