Texas Space Commission Awards Grant to Intuitive Machines, LLC

Austin, TX - The Texas Space Commission (TSC) announced a Space Exploration & Aeronautics Research Fund (SEARF) grant of up to $10 million has been awarded to Intuitive Machines, LLC (LUNR) for the “Zephyr Orbital FabLab Development” project, a commercial orbital return vehicle. 

The Zephyr project intends to commercialize advanced reentry technology and position Texas as a preferred location for returning space-faring vehicles. This project also aims to accelerate the automation of industrial manufacturing in space for terrestrial applications. The Zephyr team includes Texas A&M University (TAMU), San Jacinto College (SJC), Rhodium Scientific, and Space Forge Inc. 

The project timeline is set to take place over one year. The objectives included with this grant agreement are: 

• Thermal Protection System (TPS) selection and aeroshell design: April 2025 – October 2025; 
• Fab Lab Critical Design Review: April 2025 – March 2026; 
• Payload Enclosure: April 2025 – October 2025; 
• Form & Fit Mockup Testing Production: October 2025 – December 2025; and 
• Thermal Protection System (TPS) Design Selection: April 2025 – October 2025. 

These critical milestones precede the manufacturing, production, and test flight of the first prototype following the completion of this grant agreement. The SEARF grant will reimburse Intuitive Machines for eligible expenditures, such as equipment, research and development, salaries, and other direct costs

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About Intutive Machines
Headquartered in Houston, Intuitive Machines is a diversified space technology, infrastructure, and services company focused on fundamentally disrupting lunar access economics. In 2024, Intuitive Machines successfully landed the company’s Nova-C class lunar lander on the Moon, returning the United States to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972. The company returned to the Moon again in March 2025. Learn more.

About the Texas Space Commission
Established by the 88th Texas Legislature in 2023 through House Bill 3447, authored by Rep. Greg Bonnen, M.D., the Texas Space Commission advances innovation in the fields of space exploration and commercial aerospace to strengthen the state’s proven leadership across civil, commercial, and military domains. To date, the total appropriation made by the Legislature for the SEARF Trust is $450 million. Learn more.

Contact
To submit a media inquiry to the Texas Space Commission, please send an email to TSCPressInquiries@space.texas.gov.