Intuitive Machines, through its subsidiary Lanteris Space Systems, has been selected by L3Harris Technologies to develop and produce 18 infrared spacecraft platforms for the U.S. Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Tranche 3 Tracking Layer. The announcement was made on March 3 2026 and follows the broader Tranche 3 awards that were announced on December 19 2025.
L3Harris’s prime contract with the SDA is valued at up to $843 million and covers the construction of the 18 satellites, ground‑software, operations, and sustainment. Intuitive Machines will provide the spacecraft platforms, leveraging its recent acquisition of Lanteris to bring high‑rate manufacturing and advanced propulsion capabilities to the project. The satellites are scheduled to launch no earlier than fiscal year 2029.
The deal marks a significant expansion of Intuitive Machines’ portfolio beyond lunar landers into national‑security space. By partnering with L3Harris, the company joins Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Rocket Lab in the SDA’s four‑contract, 72‑satellite program, positioning it as a next‑generation prime contractor capable of scaling complex mission architectures.
Intuitive Machines’ trailing‑twelve‑month sales total $218.49 million, with revenue growth of –2.6 % over the past three years and a net margin of –88.16 %. The company recently raised $175 million in equity and completed an $800 million acquisition of Lanteris, which provides the manufacturing capacity needed to meet the SDA contract and supports a longer‑term shift toward profitability.
Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, said, “This builds on a foundation of proven performance and mission trust earned through previous tracking layer selections that we look forward to carrying forward with L3Harris and the Space Development Agency. Intuitive Machines is focused on building spacecraft platforms and the systems needed to sustain missions persistently and at scale, as part of complex mission architectures, including the SDA Tranche 3 Tracking Layer program.” Christopher Kubasik, Chair and CEO of L3Harris, added, “L3Harris is proud to support SDA in its mission to deliver a next‑generation, layered defense architecture that can track threats in real time. Defeating the hypersonic missile threat begins in space, and our Tranche 3 satellites will advance our proven, on‑orbit tracking and targeting capability needed to protect our homeland.”
The SDA’s spiral‑development model will field refreshed capabilities in batches roughly every two years, and the Tranche 3 contract is part of a broader $3.5 billion program that will deploy 72 satellites across four teams. With launch scheduled for FY 2029, Intuitive Machines’ involvement signals its growing role in the U.S. national‑security space infrastructure and its ability to compete with legacy defense contractors.
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