Space company Intuitive Machines this week announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ground station firm Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd, taking over teleport sites in the UK and the US.

Terms of the deal were not shared. The deal is set to close in Q3 2026, after which Goonhilly will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Intuitive Machines.

Intuitive said the acquisition, which will include the Goonhilly Lunar and Deep Space Communications, Commercial Satcom, and Defense and Security divisions, “significantly expands” its global ground station resources and capacity.

Upon completion, the expanded network is expected to deliver communications, data transport, and position, navigation, and timing (PNT) capabilities for sustained lunar and cislunar operations. Goonhilly said the deal adds 44 antennas to Intuitive Machines’ network.

“Customers have been clear that they want a single, integrated, and resilient solution for their communications and PNT needs as they accelerate missions at an unprecedented pace,” said Steve Altemus, co‑founder and CEO of Intuitive Machines.

“Our partners of integrated space‑to‑ground network are configured to support missions across LEO, lunar, and cislunar environments through a single source for communications, PNT, and data transport. Goonhilly will provide the backbone for this network, scales our global ground presence, and will bring a strategic core competency to the Intuitive Machines team.”

Opened in 1962 and previously owned by BT, Goonhilly closed in 2008. Located in Cornwall, the site was taken over by Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd in 2014, with the new owners raising £24 million ($31.8m) from billionaire Peter Hargreaves to install deep space antennas and build the first private deep space communications network. The teleport operates a 2,000 sqm (21,500 sq ft) on-site data center available to customers that opened in 2019.

In the US, Comsat has operated two teleports in Southbury, Connecticut, and Santa Paula, California, since 1976. The original Comsat was founded by the US government in 1963, with the two teleports as part of its Comsat Mobile division. Ownership of Comsat has changed hands multiple times since 2000 – including Lockheed Martin, Telenor, and Airbus – with Goonhilly acquiring the company in 2023.

“Goonhilly has spent years building a world-class deep space communications capability,” said Kenn Herskind, executive chairman of Goonhilly. “Joining Intuitive Machines will allow us to scale that capability globally and directly support the next era of lunar exploration. Together, we will be creating a commercial lunar communications network that is interoperable, resilient, and ready to support Artemis and international missions.”

Founded in 2013, Intuitive builds satellites and lunar landers, and offers in-orbit and ground station offerings. The company is developing a lunar data relay constellation for communications, navigation, and data relay on the Moon. Intuitive went public in 2023 via a SPAC merger with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp.

Intuitive has deployed two landers to the Moon, one of which was carrying content from DCD. Both landers, however, suffered issues and ended up on their sides. Goonhilly provided communications for both missions.

We visited Goonhilly in 2020.