If Wall Street can’t have SpaceX, it’ll settle for the next best thing — rising stars in the space industry. Investors have been sending shares of high-flying space names into the stratosphere, and one standout is Intuitive Machines ($LUNR). The space robotics innovator has surged more than 293% YTD, driven by new contracts and a successful moon rover landing. But Wednesday, it really fired its second-stage boosters.

• NASA awarded the space exploration pioneer a $4.82B contract to build and deploy satellites into lunar orbit, providing communication and navigation for the agency’s manned Artemis missions.
• This is the largest deal in the company’s history — and since the announcement, the stock has skyrocketed more than 60%, pushing its market value past $1B.

What’s drivingLUNR

? Besides becoming the first American spacecraft to touch the lunar surface in 50 years, Intuitive Machines has plenty of momentum. With NASA planning more lunar missions, the key player in space technology has secured three contracts, including designing a crewed lunar rover. It’s also eyeing more opportunities, including a bid to rescue the crewless VIPER mission.