Intuitive Machines is going all-in on lunar comms.
Yesterday, Intuitive Machines announced a definitive agreement to acquire UK-based Goonhilly Earth Station, as well as Goonhilly’s US subsidiary COMSAT, to expand the lunar company’s offering in deep-space comms and PNT.
“Customers have been clear that they want a single, integrated, and resilient solution for their communications and PNT needs as they accelerate missions at an unprecedented pace,” Intuitive Machines’ CEO Steve Altemus said in a statement. “Goonhilly will provide the backbone for this network, [scale] our global ground presence, and will bring a strategic core competency to the Intuitive Machines team.”
Dish network: The acquisition, which is expected to close in Q3, will give Intuitive Machines a more robust network of ground stations to offer customers greater flexibility and coverage for deep-space and lunar missions.
Intuitive Machines is already building a deep-space comms network, which includes multiple ground stations and five lunar-relay sats expected to launch this year, but the addition of Goonhilly assets gives Intuitive Machines an immediate boost.
- Goonhilly operates a ground station in Cornwall, England, with 30- and 32-meter antennas capable of deep-space comms.
- Through COMSAT, Goonhilly operates ground stations with dozens of antennas in Connecticut and California.
- Goonhilly assets can support comms across X-, S-, Ka-, and Ku-bands, opening up a full range of comms options for future deep-space missions.
Sum of its parts: While Goonhilly’s revenue provides a modest boost to Intuitive Machines’ bottom line—Altemus estimated that Goonhilly will add just $14M in yearly revenue—the combination of the two company’s assets is expected to drive huge growth because NASA wants dozens of lunar landings in the coming years.
“Goonhilly has spent years building a world class deep space communications capability,” Goonhilly Executive Chair Kenn Herskind said in a statement. “Joining Intuitive Machines will allow us to scale that capability globally, and directly support the next era of lunar exploration.”
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