u/thespacecpa

Today, on National Astronaut Day, Intuitive Machines announced two redesigns of their Lunar Terrain Vehicle to meet to revised requirements of Phase I of the LTV contract. Moon RIDER and Moon RANGER. We don’t have any additional information at this time besides the announcement post. Phase I of the LTV contract is expected on May 22nd based on NASA’s procurement timeline.

Edit: Moon RIDER (Rapid Initial Delivery Exploration Rover) and Moon RANGER (Rapid Autonomous Navigation and Exploration Rover)

What Is the Scope of the Planned Contract Modification?

According to a special notice published Monday on SAM.gov, Space Systems Command, through System Delta 89, intends to issue a sole-source modification to raise the shared ceiling by $4.4 billion from the original $1.84 billion value. The contract vehicle supports the acquisition of space-based space domain awareness technologies.

The effort covers systems engineering, design and prototyping, system build and integration, demonstrations and operational support. Work may also include analysis and studies supporting space domain awareness mission functions, including space-based surveillance and reconnaissance.

Which Contractors Are Part of the Andromeda IDIQ?

The Andromeda contract includes 14 awardees selected in April 2026 following a competitive process. Participants include:

Anduril
Astranis
BAE Systems
General Atomics
Intuitive Machines
L3Harris Technologies
Lockheed Martin
Millennium Space Systems
Northrop Grumman
Quantum Space
Redwire Space Missions
Sierra Space
True Anomaly
Turion Space

Why Is the Ceiling Being Raised?

The fiscal year 2027 budget for space reconnaissance and surveillance was expanded to address projected threats beyond 2030, driving higher demand for requirements already covered under the Andromeda contract. While the contract vehicle allows for adding new vendors annually, the notice does not request proposals. The planned modification is intended to prevent delays in issuing delivery orders and mitigate potential mission impacts.