Shares of space technology provider Intuitive Machines soared in early trading Wednesday after the company announced another contract with NASA.The stock was up 61%, at $8.70 a share, while the S&P 500 was flat and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.

To establish a permanent base on the Moon and explore its surface, NASA needs a 21st century communications infrastructure. It chose a small Houston, Texas-based commercial space company to do the job.