Intuitive Machines, a space exploration company, has secured a USD 116.9 million contract from NASA to deliver six science instruments, including one European Space Agency (ESA) drill suite, with a total mass of 79 kg, to the Moon's South Pole in 2027.

The contract is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and is Intuitive Machines' fourth contract awarded to deliver science and technology payloads and return data of the lunar surface.

The six payloads to be delivered include 1) the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications (LEIA) to deliver yeast to the lunar surface and analyze radiation; 2) the Package for Resource Observation and In-Situ Prospecting for Exploration, Characterization, and Testing (PROSPECT) that will extract lunar samples, including water, ice, or gas; 3) the Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) to measure the distance between the spacecraft to the reflector on the lander; 4) the Surface Exosphere Alterations by Landers (SEAL) to study the chemical reactions of lunar regolith to thermal, physical, and chemical disturbances; 5) the Fluxgate Magnetometer (MAG) to analyze magnetic fields; and 6) the Lunar Compact Infrared Imaging System (L-CIRiS) that will deploy a radiometer to survey the Moon's surface and map its surface temperature distribution.