Astrolab vs Intuitive Machines: Landers, rovers & surface transport compared

November 2026 edition · assessment by Frontier Tech Intelligence

Intuitive Machines ranks 15 on the Space 100 with a score of 82; Astrolab ranks 71 with 68. Intuitive Machines is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, technology, positioning and firepower. Level on progress and leverage. Astrolab is based in Hawthorne, United States, Intuitive Machines in Houston, United States. Intuitive Machines: Public, founded 2013. Astrolab is named in 45 signals and Intuitive Machines in 38.

Astrolab →

Hawthorne, California, United States · Space · Planetary economy / Landers, rovers & surface transport · astrolab.space

Astrolab develops lunar rovers, including FLEX and FLIP, for cargo, payload delivery and crew support on the Moon, including for NASA's Lunar Terrain Vehicle missions.

Space 100 · rank 71 · score 68Robotics · watchlist · score 53

Scores, Space (of 10)

Deployment8
Production4
Commercials6
Progress10
Technology6
Positioning6
Firepower8
Leverage6

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

Astrolab is a US lunar-rover company (Hawthorne, founded 2020) whose FLEX rover architecture and FLIP precursor went from startup to Artemis-critical when NASA selected its CLV-1 as one of two crewed Lunar Terrain Vehicles (May 2026, ~$220M; team with Axiom Space and Interlune, delivered by Blue Moon Mk1, deployment target 2028). Its FLIP precursor passed thermal-vac and integrated testing but its launch was delayed. Revenue is estimated at 10-100m class (the CLV award recognized over performance).

Latest signals

  • HPE plans to send its Spaceborne Computer 4 to the Moon by year-end 2026.ZDNet Korea
  • HPE Spaceborne Computer 4 to launch AI compute to the Moon on Astrolab's FLIP roverThe Register
  • Astrolab partners with Interstellar Mapping to hunt lunar waterPayload

45 signals name Astrolab.

Facts, with sources

  • Rovers will be delivered via Blue Moon Mark 1 landers for lunar surface operationsSpaceNews
  • Astrolab announced NASA payloads for an upcoming lunar missionAstrolab
  • FLEX Rover will install a greenhouse pod on the lunar surface for Artemis 4SpaceNews

47 facts on file.

Intuitive Machines →

Houston, Texas, United States · Space · Planetary economy / Landers, rovers & surface transport · Public · founded 2013 · www.intuitivemachines.com

Intuitive Machines builds and operates lunar landers that deliver NASA and commercial payloads to the Moon's surface.

Space 100 · rank 15 · score 82

Scores, Space (of 10)

Deployment9
Production6
Commercials10
Progress10
Technology8
Positioning8
Firepower9
Leverage6

Darker bar: ahead of the other company on that measure.

Positioning

Intuitive Machines is a US lunar-services company (Nasdaq) whose IM-1 was the first commercial lunar landing (February 2024), with IM-3 through IM-6 in the pipeline, posting record Q2-26 revenue of $206.2M (>4x YoY) and FY26 guidance of $900M-1B (adjusted-EBITDA positive but still GAAP loss-making). Its backlog jumped to $1.8B (8.5x in six months) largely through four acquisitions, and it received an ATP on a $600M+ multi-satellite communications program, though much of its headline growth is acquired (the Lanteris deal) rather than organic. It is acquiring Maxar (pending), which would transform it from lunar services into a bus manufacturer and orbital-data-center player.

Latest signals

  • SiriusXM placed its SXM-11 satellite into service.Via Satellite
  • Intuitive Machines wins a $600 million contract for three geostationary communications satellites.SpaceNews
  • Space Forge partnered with Intuitive Machines to develop an orbital semiconductor reactor and return vehicle.EE Times

38 signals name Intuitive Machines.

Facts, with sources

  • NASA CLPS award IM-5, projected to launch in 2030SpaceNews
  • NASA selected Intuitive Machines for a mission to the lunar south polar regionSpaceNews
  • NASA-selected mission to the lunar south polar regionSpaceNews

195 facts on file.

More comparisons

Questions this page answers

Astrolab or Intuitive Machines: which is ahead in space?

Intuitive Machines ranks 15 on the Space 100 with a score of 82; Astrolab ranks 71 with 68. Intuitive Machines is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, technology, positioning and firepower. Level on progress and leverage. Astrolab is based in Hawthorne, United States, Intuitive Machines in Houston, United States. Intuitive Machines: Public, founded 2013. Astrolab is named in 45 signals and Intuitive Machines in 38.

How do Astrolab and Intuitive Machines compare?

Intuitive Machines ranks 15 on the Space 100 with a score of 82; Astrolab ranks 71 with 68. Intuitive Machines is ahead on deployment, production, commercials, technology, positioning and firepower. Level on progress and leverage. Astrolab is based in Hawthorne, United States, Intuitive Machines in Houston, United States. Intuitive Machines: Public, founded 2013. Astrolab is named in 45 signals and Intuitive Machines in 38. Both company files carry the scores on eight measures, the facts with sources and the latest signals.

Every comparison here comes from the same files members use every day.

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