There's a resource in lunar soil so valuable it could ignite a 21st century gold rush at a reported value of $20 million per kilogram. This material is roughly $150 times more valuable than gold due to its potential use in fusion power plants, cooling for quantum computers, and its current use in detecting attempted smuggling of nuclear materials for national security purposes. Seattlebased startup Interoon is one of a handful of space resource extraction companies aiming to harness this material to establi ...

Core Viewpoint - Intuitive Machines is experiencing significant volatility in its stock price, with a notable 130% return over the past 52 weeks, and is facing a critical upcoming lunar landing event that could greatly impact its share value [1][2]. Group 1: Recent Developments - The company has launched its second lunar lander, Athena, which is expected to land on the Moon on March 6, 2024 [5]. - Intuitive Machines successfully landed its first lunar craft, Odysseus, in late February 2024, marking the first U.S. lunar landing since 1972, which led to a 46% surge in pre-market trading [2][4]. - Despite the initial success, the Odysseus landing faced issues as one of its legs broke upon landing, causing the craft to topple, although it still managed to collect most of the intended data [3][4]. Group 2: Market Reactions - Following the Odysseus landing, shares of Intuitive Machines fell nearly 35% in after-hours trading due to the mishap, highlighting the stock's volatility based on mission outcomes [4]. - Analysts have reacted positively to the company's potential, with Cantor Fitzgerald raising its price target from $4 to $13, a 225% increase [2]. Group 3: Future Prospects - The upcoming Athena mission is seen as a critical opportunity for Intuitive Machines to demonstrate its capabilities in lunar missions, with the CEO indicating that this mission is more complex than the previous one [6][9]. - Intuitive Machines aims to expand its commercial market presence, as many payloads on Athena are for commercial customers, which could pave the way for a future lunar economy [9][10]. - The company has received significant funding through NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative but must continue to innovate to maintain its competitive edge [8][9].