Intuitive Machines chooses Tempo to return the US to the moon

In 2019, NASA awarded Intuitive Machines the first mission task order under the space program’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative to deliver five NASA payloads to the surface of the Moon. The company will launch its lander, Nova-C, into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, and Nova-C will utilise space-rated circuit boards manufactured at Tempo Automation’s software-accelerated factory, a press release reads. The mission, IM-1, is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2022 from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. "It's a truly groundbreaking moment because we are returning the United States back to the surface of the moon for the first time in 50 years," says Steve Altemus, president and CEO of Intuitive Machines. "Working with Tempo allows us to prototype rapidly and move to flight finalization with true confidence." As stated in the press release, designing products for space travel is relatively straightforward, however the extreme challenge is making the products manufacturable and built for travel to space. Tempo Automation's manufacturing platform supports this specific market need, leveraging an iterative hardware development process capable of creating complex electronics that can survive the extreme conditions of space travel. The company is no stranger to space landings — its technology is currently being utilised by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. "We're extremely proud that our customers, like Intuitive Machines, build amazing things at Tempo that have never been manufactured before," says Joy Weiss, president and CEO of Tempo Automation in the press release. "Our pioneering manufacturing platform’s support for ultra-agile development of complex hardware is a real enabler when it comes to space travel, and we're looking forward to continuing to enable innovation for partners like Intuitive Machines."