In a move that proves space companies can multitask, Intuitive Machines announced on Aug. 13 that it won a $600 million contract to build three geostationary orbit communications satellites for an undisclosed customer. The company, best known for its lunar landers, is now branching out into the satellite business, because apparently landing on the Moon wasn't enough.

The contract, signed in June, was revealed in the company's second-quarter earnings report, with few details about the customer or the satellites' purpose. But Intuitive Machines is not new to the GEO satellite game - it acquired Lanteris Space Systems (formerly Maxar Space Systems) last year, bringing with it the 1300-series bus, now rebranded as the IM 1300. Nothing like a fresh coat of paint to make old spacecraft feel new again.

CEO Steve Altemus boasted during the earnings call: "In commercial space, we continue to see strong demand for our flight-proven IM 1300 series platform. In quarter two, we were awarded three geostationary communication satellites from an undisclosed customer, valued at over $600 million over the next 30 months." That's a lot of money for a mystery order, but hey, maybe the customer just wants to remain anonymous to avoid awkward questions about why they need three new satellites.

The timing is curious, given that the FCC recently approved a plan to clear satellite C-band spectrum for terrestrial 5G use. Eutelsat, SES, and Telesat are set to receive over $6 billion to vacate 160 megahertz of upper C-band spectrum, which will require new satellites to move their services. SES, the largest user, plans to deploy seven hybrid C/Ku-band satellites, and an executive told the FCC in June that the company was "actively negotiating contracts" for satellites and launches. Eutelsat and Telesat have not disclosed their plans, but you can bet they're shopping around.

When asked if the mysterious order was linked to this spectrum clearing, Altemus played coy: "In the future, we'll come out and give you a little more color on that." Translation: "No comment, but stay tuned."

Beyond the new GEO satellites, Intuitive Machines has over 70 smaller IM 300 satellites on order, including 18 for the Space Development Agency's Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 program, announced Aug. 4. With more than 80 spacecraft under contract, the company is busy. That includes lunar landers, lunar communications orbiters, and an orbital transfer vehicle called Nebula. Because why not add a space tug to the mix?

Altemus mentioned that the company is expanding its Houston headquarters to produce lunar spacecraft, while the IM 300 production line in California hasn't reached capacity yet. "We have capacity and have been putting on additional capacity," he said, which is corporate speak for "we're building a lot of stuff."

In other news, the company updated its lunar communications constellation plans. The first satellite, Altus-1, is set to launch in the first quarter of 2027 as a rideshare on the Falcon 9 launch of the IM-3 lunar lander mission. Originally, the remaining four satellites were to hitchhike on later lander missions, but now they'll get a dedicated launch in 2028 to speed things up. Why wait until 2029 or 2030 when you can get it done sooner? Altemus said, "We are negotiating with NASA for a dedicated launch to fly all four simultaneously on an independent mission," though he didn't disclose the costs. The satellites are owned by Intuitive Machines, which plans to offer communications services on a "pay-by-the-minute" basis. Because who doesn't love a metered space connection?