How I Built This with Guy Raz Shooting for the moon with Steve Altemus of Intuitive Machines
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Dec 21, 2023 Steve Altemus, co-founder and CEO of Intuitive Machines, once worked at NASA and now aims to commercialize lunar exploration. He discusses the logistics of sending the first commercial spacecraft to the moon, highlighting innovations and the global space race. Altemus embraces the importance of learning from failure and emphasizes sustainable funding models for lunar missions. He explores the potential of moon resources like water ice and rare minerals, while addressing the evolving challenges and collaborations shaping the future of lunar exploration.
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Frustration at NASA
- Steve Altemus felt NASA's engineering talent was underutilized due to budget cuts.
- His son inspired him to propose an ambitious project: landing a walking robot on the moon.
1000-Day Moon Robot
- Altemus and his son devised a plan to send a walking robot to the moon in 1000 days.
- Though not fully realized, this project sparked the creation of Intuitive Machines.
Initial Focus and Pivot
- Intuitive Machines initially focused on solving problems in oil, gas, healthcare, and aerospace using spaceflight engineering.
- A shift occurred in 2018 when the US government declared the moon of strategic interest.