March 24 (Reuters) - Intuitive Machines ( LUNR ) said on

Tuesday NASA has awarded the space startup a $180.4 million

contract to deliver seven science and technology payloads to the

moon's south pole.

As part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services

initiative under the agency's Artemis moon program, the contract

includes the deliveries of an Australian Space Agency lunar

rover and technologies developed by Honeybee Robotics, a unit of

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

This marks Intuitive Machines' ( LUNR ) fifth CLPS delivery mission,

which is expected to target Mons Malapert, a ridge near the

lunar south pole seen as strategically important for future

human and robotic exploration, the company said.

Earlier today, the U.S. space agency chief Jared Isaacman

announced an array of changes to the Artemis program including

an aim to send more robotic landers to the moon and lay the

groundwork for using nuclear power on the lunar surface.