The Reiner Gamma landing site was announced for the first
PRISM opportunity and the JHU
Applied Physics Laboratory's
Lunar Vertex payload was selected to conduct a detailed scientific analysis of the surface and surface environment. David Blewett (APL) is the principal investigator and leads the science team. Lunar Vertex includes payload elements on the Nova-C lander (APL magnetometer,
SwRI plasma spectrometer, and
Redwire camera arrays) and on a
Lunar Outpost rover (APL magnetometer and
Canadensys microscopic imager). APL also provided overall management, systems engineer, SMA, and rover integration and testing. Additional IM-3 payloads include the Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Explorers (CADRE) rovers,
ESA's
MoonLIGHT Pointing Actuator (MPAc), KASI's Lunar Space Environment Monitor (LUSEM) In 2024 the Intuitive Machines chief executive indicated that in addition to the lander, the IM-3 mission might deliver a data-relay satellite to lunar orbit. NASA asserts, "Lunar relays will play an essential role in NASA’s Artemis campaign to establish a long-term presence on the Moon." Additional reporting in 2025 indicated this work will be performed under a Near Space Network Services contract that NASA had previously awarded to Intuitive Machines. In December 2025,
ASA funded organisation Lunaria One was approved to add the Australian Lunar Experiment Promoting Horticulture (ALEPH-1) payload which will test plant growth and survival in the lunar environment. == Mission events ==