What Does Moon Express Do?

Total employees37
HeadquartersCape Canaveral
Founded2010

Moon Express was an American commercial space company founded in 2010 with the ambitious goal of mining the Moon for natural resources and offering lunar transportation services. It notably became the first private company to receive U.S. government permission (in 2016) to travel beyond Earth's orbit and land on the Moon. Moon Express focused on developing robotic spacecraft and lunar landers to enable commercial lunar exploration and utilization. In February 2024, key assets and intellectual property of Moon Express were acquired by Intuitive Machines, integrating its pioneering legacy into Intuitive Machines' broader lunar exploration objectives.

Where Is Moon Express's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Historically served as the center for spacecraft assembly, integration, testing, and planned mission operations for its lunar expeditions.

Notable Features:

Utilization of historic Launch Complexes 17 and 18, offering direct access to launch capabilities and signifying a commercial takeover of heritage space infrastructure.

Work Culture:

Characterized by a fast-paced, innovative, and mission-driven startup environment, focused on achieving ambitious milestones in commercial space travel with a lean team.

HQ Significance:

The Cape Canaveral location was strategically critical, providing access to essential launch facilities, a skilled aerospace talent pool, and a supportive ecosystem for space ventures.

Values Reflected in HQ: The headquarters and its operations embodied ambition, pioneering spirit, innovation, and the pursuit of commercializing lunar resources and access.

Location:

While primarily a U.S.-based operation, Moon Express's vision for lunar resource utilization and commercial transport had global implications. The company aimed to serve international clients for payload delivery and data services, contributing to the growing international interest in commercial lunar activities. Its pioneering work laid groundwork for future international collaborations in the commercial lunar sector, a legacy continued through Intuitive Machines.

Street Address:

Launch Complex 17/18, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

City:

Cape Canaveral

State/Province:

Florida

Country:

USA

Where Else Does Moon Express Operate Around the World?

Mountain View, California, USA

Address: NASA Ames Research Park, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (Historical Location)

Focused on initial spacecraft design, software development, robotics, and securing early-stage partnerships and investment in the Silicon Valley tech ecosystem.

Buying Intent Signals for Moon Express

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading Moon Express? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, Moon Express' leadership includes:

Naveen Jain - Co-Founder & Chairman
Dr. Robert (Bob) Richards - Co-Founder, President & CEO
Dr. Barney Pell - Co-Founder & Vice-Chairman/Chief Strategist

Who's Investing in Moon Express?

Moon Express has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Founders Fund
Autodesk
Collaborative Fund
Bracket Capital
Peter Diamandis

What Leadership Changes Has Moon Express Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits3

The most significant event for Moon Express in the recent period was the acquisition of its key assets and intellectual property by Intuitive Machines in February 2024. This transaction effectively marked the end of Moon Express as an independent operational entity, with its leadership structure dissolving or transitioning. No new executive hires for a standalone Moon Express have been reported since.

Departures

Dr. Robert (Bob) Richards, Role concluded with the acquisition of Moon Express assets by Intuitive Machines.
Naveen Jain, Role concluded with the acquisition of Moon Express assets by Intuitive Machines.
Dr. Barney Pell, Role concluded with the acquisition of Moon Express assets by Intuitive Machines.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byMoon Express?

Discover the tools Moon Express uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

Moon Express Email Formats and Examples

Historically, Moon Express likely used standard corporate email formats such as [firstinitial][last]@moonexpress.com or [first].[last]@moonexpress.com. Following its acquisition by Intuitive Machines, these email addresses are presumed to be inactive. Communications regarding its legacy or ongoing integrated projects would be managed through Intuitive Machines.

[firstinitial][last]@moonexpress.com

Format

jdoe@moonexpress.com

Example

10%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About Moon Express?

Intuitive Machines / SpaceNewsFebruary 7, 2024

Intuitive Machines Acquires Moon Express Assets to Bolster Lunar Program

Intuitive Machines announced it has acquired key assets, including intellectual property and work product, from Moon Express. This strategic acquisition is aimed at strengthening Intuitive Machines' lunar programs and expanding its capabilities in lunar access and resource utilization. Moon Express's pioneering work in commercial lunar missions is expected to complement Intuitive Machines' existing and future lunar endeavors....more

FAA / Multiple News Outlets (e.g., The New York Times)August 3, 2016

Moon Express Becomes First Private Company to Receive U.S. Government Approval for a Lunar Mission

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted historic approval for Moon Express to launch its MX-1E lander to the Moon. This marked the first time a private enterprise received permission to travel beyond Earth's traditional orbit and land on another celestial body. The approval was a landmark decision, paving the way for commercial lunar exploration and resource development....more

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