More Than Brick and Mortar

Remarks From Intuitive Machines' President and CEO, Steve Altemus

Welcome and thank you. Councilmember Alcorn, Houston Airport Systems, Burns & McDonnell, Griffin Partners, BAHEP, the state of Texas, and the determined people who embody what it means to be Space City.

Back in 2012, I had this idea for a think tank company. I remember I was in DC interviewing for an advanced nuclear reactor company with Dr. Kam Ghaffarian. We were at a local restaurant having dinner when he pointedly asked me, "what are you passionate about, Steve?" I started scribbling on a napkin and said, what do you think about this idea to take human spaceflight engineering methodologies and apply them in an entrepreneurial way to solve intractable problems around the world? Kam said, "it would be a shame for the music in your head not to be played, let's do this!" That was my idea for a company, which was the start of Intuitive Machines as a partnership and company.

The following year, the core of us stepped out of the gates of Johnson Space Center and said, "let's build our company right here in Houston." It was always Houston.

In the early years, we developed and manufactured medical devices, long-range autonomous drones, and drilling simulators for oil and gas.

I remember the day it all changed. Our Co-founder, Dr. Tim Crain, and I were on a flight back from Delaware after winning a significant contract dispute when we found out NASA was recommitting itself to returning to the Moon. I will never forget looking at Tim and saying, "the Moon is back in play, baby!"

Since that flight touched down in Space City in 2018, Intuitive Machines has been laser-focused on reestablishing the United States' foothold on the ultimate high ground, the Moon.

NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, or CLPS, has been a catalyst for Intuitive Machines becoming the first commercial company to land on the Moon. Completing our robotic missions to the Moon lays the foundation for Artemis, which will take our next step as a species on the Moon. We take that responsibility seriously at Intuitive Machines. Our focus to deliver payloads for NASA and commercial customers is what brings us here today.

Look around; this is the original spaceport. Intuitive Machines was its first tenant, and this is where we started building a complete lunar program. From our lander engine, 3D printed in this building, to the world's first commercially available deep space communications network, and command center, Nova Control. We are at the forefront of returning to the Moon in a sustainable way that unlocks the lunar economy the same way we commercialized low-Earth orbit.

Right now, we are eight months away from launching our first mission to the Moon. We're eighteen months from our second mission, which will make Intuitive Machines the first to ever land on the Moon's South Pole. While there, we'll become the first to drill for water ice, explore uncharted lunar craters, and use 4G LTE to communicate on the Moon. The demand for achieving these remarkable feats has stretched the limits of our current building. In fact, we have overgrown. So, thank you, Sallie Kay, and the San Jac Edge Center, for providing a pipeline of trained aerospace technicians and for letting us borrow some of your space.

From a napkin in 2012 to moving into this spaceport in 2018, and our new home starting today, we grew up as a company alongside spaceport Houston, and we continue to grow as spaceport Houston grows. We chose to partner with the city, Houston Airports, and San Jacinto College because this is our home. A place surrounded by family, friends, and people of true grit. Whether it's a flood, pandemic, or landing on the Moon, Space City doesn't back down from a challenge. This new building is Intuitive Machines accepting one of humanity's greatest challenges. Thank you.

-Steve Altemus

President & CEO

Intuitive Machines Appoints Chief Technology Officer

Intuitive Machines (IM), a premiere provider and supplier of space products and services, has announced the appointment of Dr. Tim Crain as chief technology officer (CTO). Dr. Crain has served as the company’s vice president of research and development since co-founding IM in 2013 with Mr. Steve Altemus and Dr. Kam Ghaffarian. The transition to CTO comes after rapid growing demand for IM’s Lunar Payload and Data Services (LPDS) program.

“I’ve been training for the design and successful operation of spacecraft for precision planetary landing my entire career,” said Dr. Crain. “The opportunity to be in charge of developing the technologies we need to repeatably and reliably land on the Moon as a commercial company is something I never imagined in my wildest dreams.”

"It is not often in life that you come across a technical mind that is as acute and flexible as Dr. Tim Crain's,” said Steve Altemus, IM’s president, and CEO. “His imagination and problem-solving ability make him a discriminator in this industry. We are so pleased to have him as the CTO of Intuitive Machines."

Dr. Crain developed the framework for IM’s approach to Precision Landing and Hazard Avoidance (PLHA) on Nova landers by leveraging practical experience from the NASA Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Task (ALHAT). The newly appointed CTO has implemented the original sensor processing and navigation flight-software for the Nova-C vehicle, which will stick the landing on the Moon twice in the next 20 months. IM-1 will be the first commercial lander to the Moon in the first quarter of 2022 and IM-2 is scheduled to land in late 2022. IM-2 will be the first spacecraft to land on the lunar South Pole, the first to conduct extreme mobility services, and drill for ice on the Moon.

About Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines is a premier provider and supplier of space products and services that enable sustained robotic and human exploration to the Moon, Mars and beyond. We drive markets with competitive world-class offerings synonymous with innovation, high quality, and precision. Whether leveraging state-of-the-art engineering tools and practices or integrating research and advanced technologies, our solutions are insightful and have a positive impact on the world.

Hello Moon, I Was Built for You

By Jack “2fish” Fischer

VP of Strategic Programs at Intuitive Machines

May 5, 2021

It was enormous; a metallic beast laying on its belly that took my breath away. As a 6-year-old looking up at the largest, most magnificent rocket in history – I could almost feel the magic of thousands of people coming together to create the future. Built at a crossroads in history – built for that moment – the Saturn V was the culmination of a challenge set by an energetic leader in the throes of a cold war. JFK called our moon program a goal which served "to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills.” And he was right.

That rocket is all it took for me to fall in love with space, and it sparked a desire for me be a part of something bigger than myself, so that hopefully someday other 6-year-olds could be inspired like I was. I wanted to be part of a program like Apollo because I firmly believe that when we can accomplish great, almost unimaginable things – it inspires us all to do even greater things.

Blessed with good timing, some luck, and a healthy serving of hard work, every experience I had built upon the last, vectoring me towards my dreams. Whether I was driving a Bobcat for the family construction company, flying combat sorties in the mighty F-15E Strike Eagle, or testing the edge of the envelope in a F-22 Raptor, I consistently put in the effort to grow and be ready for opportunities. In 2009, I got the chance of a lifetime – to join NASA’s astronaut corps. Eventually I flew to and lived aboard the International Space Station (ISS), did two spacewalks, and of course played with floating food – I literally lived my dream. The ISS is the greatest example of international cooperation in history – a shining castle in the sky that shows what we can do when we put our differences aside and work together. We have been rocking the science for more than twenty years aboard the ISS and making a profound societal impact as a result. I am so proud to have played a part.

When I returned from my mission, my focus became keeping the space domain safe for the growth of a burgeoning economy, now and in the future. I was able to help design the United States Space Force and was privileged enough to work alongside Guardians worldwide who are dedicated to the safety and security of the final frontier.

And then it happened. I had lived my dreams, I had flown jets at the edge of crazy, rode a rocket towards the stars, and led groups of incredible people in protecting the heavens. Now what? As the river of life pulled me in a new direction, I retired from my beloved Air Force, and came to the realization that I had no idea what was next.

What I found is that just like the Saturn V was seemingly built for that specific moment in time – as individuals, I think we are too. Sometimes, as our lives change in dramatic ways, we need to ask ourselves what are we built for? Why did destiny bring us here – to this point in time, with these life experiences and skills?

I would be lying if I said I didn’t struggle with the answer to those questions. At least until I found Intuitive Machines. I found a team that is picking up on JFK’s long-dormant challenge and returning the United States to the Moon. It is a team that weaves together our childhood dreams of space, leverages the collective experiences of its members, and satisfies a burning desire to make an impact on our shared tomorrow.

After I saw that big rocket on its belly, if someone asked, I would say with youthful exuberance “I want to be an astronaut!” Now I see that ‘astronaut’ was just another step in my path, one that I am still walking. We are built for moments – the culmination of our experiences, skills, and opportunities – that must continually evolve with the world around us if we are to realize our true potential. I feel that I was built for exactly this moment, in helping Intuitive Machines take us back to the Moon and pioneer humanity’s next big step.

What are you built for?