Acquisition Would Create Integrated Commercial Lunar Communications Network
Ground Station Deal Adds 44-Antenna Global Network to Intuitive Machines’ Space Infrastructure Portfolio
An agreement to acquire Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd. and its U.S.-based subsidiary COMSAT has been announced by Intuitive Machines, a move that would add 44 antennas across two continents to the Houston-based company’s infrastructure and position it as a commercial provider of end-to-end lunar and deep space communications services.
“Our partners of integrated space-to-ground network are configured to support missions across LEO, lunar, and cislunar environments.”
Steve Altemus, Intuitive Machines
The deal, announced May 14, values Goonhilly at £37 million (approximately $49.1 million), split equally between cash and 960,649 Class A shares of Intuitive Machines common stock, plus a £592,621 (approximately $787,000) escrow. The acquisition would bring Goonhilly’s Cornwall, England facility and its two U.S. teleports — located in Southbury, Connecticut, and Santa Paula, California — into Intuitive Machines’ integrated space-to-ground network. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, pending customary regulatory approvals including review under the UK National Security and Investment Act of 2021 and clearance from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
“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,” said Steve Altemus, co-founder and CEO of Intuitive Machines. “Our partners of integrated space-to-ground network are configured to support missions across LEO, lunar, and cislunar environments through a single source for communications, PNT, and data transport. Goonhilly will provide the backbone for this network, scales our global ground presence and will bring a strategic core competency to the Intuitive Machines team.”
The acquisition encompasses Goonhilly’s Lunar and Deep Space Communications, Commercial Satcom, and Defense and Security divisions. Goonhilly operates from the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, England, and brings a suite of high-capability antenna assets to the deal. These include the GHY6 32-meter antenna and the cryogenically cooled GHY3 30-meter antenna, with multiband support across X-band, S-band, and Ka-/Ku-band frequencies. COMSAT, operating as Goonhilly USA Inc., extends the network’s footprint across both U.S. coasts.
The two companies have a working relationship predating the acquisition. In 2021, Goonhilly signed a long-term agreement to support all Intuitive Machines lunar missions, and the station played an active role in the historic IM-1 Odysseus lunar landing in February 2024 — one of the first commercial landings on the Moon. That mission-proven relationship underpins the strategic rationale for the acquisition.
“Goonhilly has spent years building a world class deep space communications capability,” said Kenn Herskind, Executive Chairman of Goonhilly. “Joining Intuitive Machines will allow us to scale that capability globally and directly support the next era of lunar exploration. Together, we will be creating a commercial lunar communications network that is interoperable, resilient, and ready to support Artemis and international missions.”
Intuitive Machines has been building its Space Data Network — developed in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory — to provide persistent communications and navigation capabilities across low Earth orbit, lunar, and cislunar environments. The addition of Goonhilly’s ground infrastructure is intended to give customers greater flexibility in mission design and enhance contact opportunities for lunar and deep space missions by expanding visibility across major Earth-viewing arcs.
In 2024, the UK Space Agency awarded Goonhilly a contract to provide deep space communications services for UK and international partners. The station maintains certifications consistent with NASA’s Deep Space Network and ESA’s ESTRACK standards, with a customer base spanning civil, commercial, and government sectors across multiple space agencies.
The Goonhilly announcement coincides with Intuitive Machines reporting record first-quarter 2026 revenue of $186.7 million, nearly three times the prior-year figure, driven largely by the $800 million Lanteris Space Systems acquisition, which closed in January 2026. The company reported positive adjusted EBITDA of $2.7 million for the quarter and a contracted backlog of $1.055 billion as of March 31, 2026. The company has maintained its 2026 full-year revenue guidance of $900 million to $1 billion with positive adjusted EBITDA.