Intuitive Machines jobs and careers in 2026
Intuitive Machines made history in February 2024 when its Odysseus lander (IM-1) became the first commercial spacecraft to land on the Moon and the first American lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. The lander tipped on its side after catching a foot on the surface, but it transmitted data for several days and proved that a company with a few hundred employees could deliver a working lunar vehicle under a fixed-price NASA contract.
In 2026, Intuitive Machines is one of the fastest-growing space companies in the United States. With multiple NASA CLPS task orders, a $4.82 billion Near Space Network Services (NSNS) contract, a growing lunar data relay business, and a public stock listing (NASDAQ: LUNR), the company is hiring aggressively across engineering, operations, and business functions from its Houston headquarters.
What Intuitive Machines builds
Intuitive Machines develops lunar landers, lunar communication infrastructure, and space data services. The company's primary revenue comes from NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which pays commercial companies to deliver science instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon.
Nova-C lander program
The Nova-C is Intuitive Machines' workhorse lunar lander — a roughly 675 kg (wet mass) vehicle powered by a liquid methane/liquid oxygen main engine (VR900) that can deliver approximately 130 kg of payload to the lunar surface.
| Mission | Status (2026) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| IM-1 (Odysseus) | Completed Feb 2024 | First commercial lunar landing. Delivered 6 NASA payloads to Malapert A crater near the south pole. |
| IM-2 | Launched / in progress | Nova-C to lunar south pole carrying NASA PRIME-1 ice drill, micro Nova rover, and commercial payloads. |
| IM-3 | In development | Nova-C carrying multiple NASA instruments and commercial payloads to a different lunar site. |
Beyond landers: the full mission pipeline
Intuitive Machines has expanded well beyond single lander missions:
- Lunar Data Network: A constellation of relay satellites providing continuous communication coverage for lunar surface operations. This infrastructure is critical for sustained human and robotic activity on the Moon.
- NASA NSNS contract ($4.82B): Awarded in 2023, this decade-long contract positions Intuitive Machines as a primary provider of near-space communication services — not just lunar, but cislunar and deep-space relay capabilities.
- Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV): Intuitive Machines is part of a team developing a next-generation lunar rover for NASA's Artemis surface operations.
- Space Products division: Custom payload integration, autonomous navigation systems, and engineering services for government and commercial customers.
Engineering roles and salary ranges
Intuitive Machines hires across the full range of spacecraft engineering disciplines. Because the company is still relatively small (approximately 500 employees), engineers tend to have broader responsibilities than at larger aerospace primes like Boeing or Lockheed Martin.
| Role | Experience | Salary Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GN&C Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $120K–$160K | Guidance, navigation, and control for lunar descent |
| GN&C Engineer | Senior (7+ yr) | $150K–$190K | Lead descent/landing algorithms |
| Propulsion Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $110K–$150K | VR900 main engine and RCS design |
| Avionics Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $115K–$155K | Flight electronics, power systems |
| Software Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $125K–$165K | Flight software, ground systems, autonomy |
| Software Engineer | Senior (7+ yr) | $155K–$195K | Architecture, mission-critical systems |
| Systems Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $110K–$145K | Vehicle-level integration and requirements |
| Mechanical/Structures Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $105K–$140K | Lander structure, payload interfaces |
| Thermal Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $110K–$150K | Lunar surface thermal environment management |
| RF/Communications Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $115K–$160K | Lunar Data Network, relay systems |
| Test Engineer | Entry-Mid (1-4 yr) | $90K–$125K | Hardware testing, environmental test campaigns |
| Mission Operations Engineer | Mid (3-5 yr) | $105K–$140K | Mission planning, real-time flight ops |
Houston has no state income tax (Texas), and cost of living is substantially lower than California or the DC metro area. A $130K salary in Houston stretches further than $160K in Los Angeles.
Operations, business, and support roles
Intuitive Machines is not engineering-only. The company also hires across business and operations functions:
| Department | Example Roles | Salary Range |
|---|---|---|
| Program Management | Program managers, schedulers, cost analysts | $100K–$165K |
| Mission Operations | Flight controllers, mission planners, ground operators | $95K–$140K |
| Business Development | BD managers, capture leads, proposal writers | $95K–$150K |
| Finance & Accounting | Financial analysts, controllers | $85K–$130K |
| Quality Assurance | QA engineers, inspectors | $80K–$120K |
| Supply Chain | Procurement specialists, buyers | $75K–$115K |
| Technicians | Integration techs, test techs, cleanroom operators | $55K–$90K |
Mission operations is a particularly interesting growth area. As Intuitive Machines increases its mission cadence and deploys the Lunar Data Network, the company needs more flight controllers, ground system operators, and communication specialists. For background on flight controller careers, see our guide on mission control jobs in 2026.
What it is like to work at Intuitive Machines
Intuitive Machines operates out of its headquarters and integration facility near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The proximity to JSC is strategic — many of the company's NASA program managers and mission partners are across the street.
Small team, real hardware. With roughly 500 employees, individual contributors have direct influence on mission outcomes. An engineer at Intuitive Machines may work on requirements, design, test, and operations for the same hardware — a breadth of experience uncommon at larger companies.
Mission-driven cadence. The company is executing multiple lunar missions in succession. This creates an intense, campaign-driven work rhythm. Expect elevated hours during integration and launch periods, followed by somewhat calmer phases during early development.
Former NASA leadership. Co-founder and CEO Steve Altemus was previously Deputy Director of NASA JSC. Multiple senior leaders came from NASA, Lockheed, or Boeing. This heritage shapes the engineering culture — rigorous, documentation-heavy, but faster-moving than a traditional prime contractor.
Publicly traded dynamics. Being public (LUNR) means quarterly earnings calls, stock price scrutiny, and more financial transparency than private competitors. Employees can sell equity on the open market, but the stock's volatility adds a layer of financial uncertainty.
NASA CLPS contracts: the revenue engine
NASA's CLPS program is the financial backbone of Intuitive Machines' near-term business. Understanding CLPS helps you understand the company's trajectory and hiring needs.
CLPS works as a fixed-price delivery service: NASA specifies instruments and payloads, selects a commercial provider, and pays for successful delivery. Individual CLPS task orders range from $77M to $118M for Intuitive Machines.
The company holds multiple CLPS awards extending through the late 2020s. Each mission requires a full engineering and operations team, which drives hiring in waves aligned with mission development phases. Engineers who join during an early development phase will see their mission through integration, launch, and lunar operations — a complete lifecycle experience.
How to apply
Intuitive Machines posts job openings on its careers page and on LinkedIn. The hiring process:
- Online application: Resume and cover letter through the company careers portal.
- Recruiter screen (20-30 min): Background, motivation, salary expectations, ITAR status.
- Technical interview (45-60 min): Domain-specific technical questions. For GN&C: orbital mechanics, control theory, state estimation. For software: coding exercises, architecture discussions. For systems: requirements decomposition, trade studies.
- On-site visit (half day): Tour of the integration facility, panel interviews with the hiring team, and often a meeting with senior leadership.
- Offer: Typically 1-2 weeks after the on-site.
What interviewers look for
- Spacecraft experience is strongly preferred. Engineers who have worked on actual flight hardware — even CubeSats or university missions — have a clear advantage.
- Breadth matters. At a 500-person company building Moon landers, you will wear multiple hats. Candidates who can contribute outside their core discipline are valued.
- Mission motivation. Intuitive Machines interviewers want to see genuine enthusiasm for lunar exploration, not just interest in a resume credential.
- U.S. Person status required for all positions (ITAR).
For students and recent graduates, see our guide on Intuitive Machines internships.
Intuitive Machines vs. other lunar employers
How does Intuitive Machines compare to other companies working on lunar programs?
| Factor | Intuitive Machines | Astrobotic | Firefly Aerospace | SpaceX (Starship HLS) | Blue Origin (Blue Moon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HQ | Houston, TX | Pittsburgh, PA | Cedar Park, TX | Hawthorne, CA | Kent, WA |
| Employees | ~500 | ~350 | ~600 | ~13,000 | ~10,000 |
| Publicly traded | Yes (LUNR) | No | No | No | No |
| Lunar missions flown | 1 (IM-1) | 1 (Peregrine) | 1 (Blue Ghost) | 0 | 0 |
| NASA contract value | $4.82B+ (NSNS + CLPS) | CLPS awards | CLPS awards | $2.9B (HLS) | ~$3.4B (HLS) |
| Equity liquidity | High (public stock) | Low (private) | Low (private) | Low (private) | Low (private) |
Intuitive Machines is the only pure-play lunar company that is publicly traded, giving employees liquid equity and financial transparency. The company is smaller than SpaceX and Blue Origin's lunar teams, which means more individual responsibility but less organizational buffer.
Living and working in Houston
Houston is one of the most affordable major cities for aerospace professionals:
- No state income tax: Texas keeps your gross pay intact.
- Housing: Median home price approximately $320K in 2026, roughly half of Los Angeles or Seattle.
- Aerospace ecosystem: NASA JSC, Boeing Houston, Axiom Space, Firefly Aerospace, and dozens of aerospace suppliers create a strong professional network. See our guide to space jobs in Houston.
- Trade-offs: Houston summers are hot and humid (May through October), and the city is car-dependent with significant sprawl.
Bottom line
Intuitive Machines is one of a handful of companies that has actually landed hardware on the Moon. In 2026, the company is growing, has a funded multi-year mission pipeline, and offers engineers the chance to work directly on lunar spacecraft in a small-team environment with publicly traded equity.
The risk is real: Intuitive Machines still depends heavily on NASA contracts, and LUNR stock carries volatility. But for engineers who want to build Moon landers and work in a mission-driven environment right now — not in some future phase — Intuitive Machines is one of the strongest options in the industry.
Browse Intuitive Machines jobs on Zero G Talent or explore all space industry jobs in Houston.
