Intuitive Machines is one of three companies announced today that will land NASA science experiments on the moon within the next two years. (Credit: Intuitive Machines)

During a NASA press conference Friday, Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the agency’s Science Mission Directorate, introduced the first three of nine companies awarded contracts to deliver payloads to the moon over the next few years.

Those companies are Astrobiotic of Pittsburgh, Intuitive Machines from Housto