Intuitive Machines Inc ( LUNR ) shares are trading higher after NASA awarded the company $30 million as a prime contractor to complete a Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services Feasibility Assessment.

Under the contract, Intuitive’s global team is tasked with creating a feasibility roadmap to develop and deploy a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) on the Moon using its’ Nova-D cargo-class lunar lander.

The first phase award marks the company’s entrance into human spaceflight operations within NASA’s $4.6 billion LTV Services project.

“This procurement strategically aligns with the Company’s flight-proven capability to deliver payloads to the surface of the Moon under the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, further solidifying our position as a proven commercial contractor in lunar exploration,” said CEO Steve Altemus.

Intuitive Machines’ Moon Reusable Autonomous Crewed Exploration Rover (RACER) global team partners, including AVL, Boeing Company ( BA ) , Michelin, and Northrop Grumman Corporation ( NOC ) , intend to provide an LTV design architecture with advanced power management, autonomous driving, communications, and navigation systems for lunar exploration.

The Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services vehicle is a major element in returning humans to the lunar surface under NASA’s Artemis campaign.

Price Action: LUNR shares are trading higher by 6.86% at $6.39 in premarket on the last check Thursday.