• Clear Street said Tuesday’s sell-off presented an attractive entry point, and LUNR remains the firm's “Top Pick” for 2026.
• LUNR CEO emphasized that NASA’s awards to other providers are part of the broader $4.6 billion Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract.
• NASA said Tuesday that Intuitive Machines is part of ITS Moon Base III mission, in which the company’s Nova-C Trinity lunar lander will be used to study lunar swirls, or light spots on the surface of the Moon.

Shares of space infrastructure company Intuitive Machines Inc. (LUNR) are drawing significant investor attention on Wednesday, following a day of rip-and-dip action that had many investors on edge.

At the time of writing, LUNR stock was up nearly 18% premarket and was among the top trending tickers on Stocktwits.

LUNR Stock Takes Investors On A Roller-Coaster Ride

On Tuesday, the company's shares climbed as much as 19% amid broader optimism about the space economy fueled by the blockbuster SpaceX IPO expected next month. Toward the end of the trading session, the stock hit the brakes and nosedived on news that the company had been left behind by NASA in the initial selection of lunar rover contractors. LUNR stock pared all of its intraday gains and closed with nearly 9% declines.

After markets closed last night, the company’s CEO stepped in to offer some relief commentary, saying the awards to other providers are part of NASA’s broader $4.6 billion Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract.

“Today’s first LTV task orders are the opening phase of a broader Moon Base buildout, a structured campaign where Intuitive Machines is continuing to execute its current business, work with Moon Base partners, and pursue additional opportunities as NASA expands lunar surface operations,” said CEO Steve Altemus.

In fact, the company is part of NASA’s lunar infrastructure mission, just not the first one. Buried in a Tuesday statement from the world’s top space agency were details about Moon Base III targeted for this year, in which Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Trinity lunar lander will be used to study lunar swirls, or light spots on the surface of the Moon, to improve understanding of surface evolution and material behavior under extreme conditions.

LUNR Stock: A Blessing In Disguise

Tuesday’s downward price action is being described as an overreaction, but some saw it as a blessing in disguise, allowing them to buy more shares.

Clear Street said on Wednesday that the sell-off presented "an attractive entry point," as LUNR remains the firm's “Top Pick” for 2026 amid accelerating industry focus on lunar infrastructure. It maintained its ‘Buy’ rating and $44 price target, implying 15% upside from the previous close.

One user on Stocktwits believes the market overreacted in the short term, but the bigger picture hasn’t changed.

Another user noted that the company is part of the Venturi Astrolab team, that received the NASA award, which means it could still benefit from subcontracting work related to the rover program.

LUNR stock has more than doubled so far this year and nearly tripled in value over the past 12 months, outperforming the S&P 500.

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