Intuitive Machines, Inc. 10-K

Item 1A. Risk Factors. You should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information contained in this Annual Report. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently believe are not material, may also become important factors that adversely affect our business or results of operations. Risks Related to Our Business and Industry Our ability to be successful depends upon the efforts of our Board and key personnel and the loss of such persons could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our business. Our ability to be successful will be dependent upon the efforts of our Board and key personnel. We cannot assure you that our Board and key personnel will be effective or successful or remain with us. In addition to the other challenges they will face, such individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a public company, which could cause our management to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such requirements. Further, uncertainty about the effect of the Transactions on our business, employees, customers, third parties with whom we have relationships, and other third parties, including regulators, may have an adverse effect on us. These uncertainties may impair our ability to attract, retain and motivate key personnel. The departure of key employees because of issues related to the uncertainty and difficulty of integration or a desire not to remain with us could have a negative effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Our limited operating history makes it difficult to evaluate our future prospects and the risks and challenges we may encounter. We have a limited operating history in a rapidly evolving industry that may not develop in a manner favorable to our business. While our business has grown rapidly, and much of that growth has occurred in recent periods, the markets for launch services, space systems, spacecraft components and space data applications may not continue to develop in a manner that we expect or that otherwise would be favorable to our business. As a result of our limited operating history and ongoing changes in our new and evolving industry, including evolving demand for our products and services, our ability to forecast our future results of operations and plan for and model future growth is limited and subject to a number of uncertainties. We have encountered and expect to continue to encounter risks and uncertainties frequently experienced by growing companies in rapidly evolving industries, such as the risks and uncertainties described herein. Accordingly, we may be unable to prepare accurate internal financial forecasts or replace anticipated revenue that we do not receive as a result of delays arising from these factors, and our results of operations in future reporting periods may be below the expectations of investors or analysts. If we do not address these risks successfully, our results of operations could differ materially from our estimates and forecasts or the expectations of investors or analysts, causing our business to suffer and our common stock price to decline. If we fail to manage our growth effectively, we may be unable to execute our business plan and our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be harmed. In order to achieve the substantial future revenue growth we have projected, we must develop and market new products and services. We intend to expand our operations significantly. To properly manage our growth, we will need to hire and retain additional personnel, upgrade our existing operational management and financial and reporting systems, and improve our business processes and controls. Our future expansion will include: ● hiring and training new personnel; ● developing new technologies; 8 ● controlling expenses and investments in anticipation of expanded operations; ● upgrading the existing operational management and financial reporting systems and team to comply with requirements as a public company; and ● implementing and enhancing administrative infrastructure, systems and processes. If our operations continue to grow as planned, of which there can be no assurance, we will need to expand our sales and marketing, research and development, customer and commercial strategy, products and services, supply, and manufacturing functions. These efforts will require us to invest significant financial and other resources, including in industries and sales channels in which we have limited experience to date. We will also need to continue to leverage our manufacturing and operational systems and processes, and there is no guarantee that we will be able to scale the business as currently planned or within the planned timeframe. The continued expansion of our business may also require additional manufacturing and operational facilities, as well as space for administrative support, and there is no guarantee that we will be able to find suitable locations for the manufacture of our space vehicles and related equipment. Our continued growth could increase the strain on our resources, and we could experience operating difficulties, including difficulties in hiring and training employees, finding manufacturing capacity to produce our space vehicles and related equipment, and delays in production. These difficulties may divert the attention of management and key employees and impact financial and operational results. If we are unable to drive commensurate growth, these costs, which include lease commitments, headcount and capital assets, could result in decreased margins, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Competition from existing or new companies could cause us to experience downward pressure on prices, fewer customer orders, reduced margins, the inability to take advantage of new business opportunities, and the loss of market share. We operate in highly competitive markets and generally encounter intense competition to win contracts from many other firms, including lower and mid-tier federal contractors with specialized capabilities and the federal government. Additionally, our markets are facing increasing industry consolidation, resulting in larger competitors who have more market share putting more downward pressure on prices and offering a more robust portfolio of products and services. We are subject to competition based upon product design, performance, pricing, quality, and services. Our product performance, engineering expertise, and product quality have been important factors in our growth. While we try to maintain competitive pricing on those products that are directly comparable to products manufactured by others, in many instances our products will conform to more exacting specifications and carry a higher price than analogous products. Many of our customers and potential customers have the capacity to design and internally manufacture products that are similar to our products. We face competition from research and product development groups and the manufacturing operations of current and potential customers, who continually evaluate the benefits of internal research, product development, and manufacturing versus outsourcing. In addition, some of our foreign competitors currently benefit from, and others may benefit in the future from, protective measures by their home countries where governments are providing financial support, including significant investments in the development of new technologies. Government support of this nature greatly reduces the commercial risks associated with aerospace technology development activities for these competitors. This market environment may result in increased pressures on our pricing and other competitive factors. We believe our ability to compete successfully in designing, engineering and manufacturing our products and services at significantly reduced cost to customers does and will depend on a number of factors, which may change in the future due to increased competition, our ability to meet our customers’ needs and the frequency and availability of our offerings. If we are unable to compete successfully, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected. A pandemic outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has disrupted and may continue to adversely affect our business operations and our financial results. The global spread of COVID-19 has disrupted certain aspects of our operations and may adversely impact our business operations and financial results, including our ability to execute on our business strategy and goals. Specifically, the continued spread of COVID-19 and related precautionary measures have resulted in delays or disruptions in our supply chain; delays in the launch or execution of certain of our customers’ projects; and a decrease of our operational efficiency in the development of our systems, products, technologies and services. We continue to take measures within our facilities to ensure the health and safety of our employees, which include the creation of a task force to implement COVID-19 protocols in compliance with federal, state and local recommendations, encouraging masking and vaccination, rearranging facilities and work schedules to follow social distancing protocols and undertaking regular and thorough disinfecting of surfaces and tools. However, there can be no assurance that these measures will prevent disruptions due to COVID-19 within our workforce. These measures have also resulted in the reduction of operational efficiency within our impacted workforce, and we expect they will continue to do so. The pandemic has also resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant disruption and volatility of global financial markets. This disruption and volatility may adversely impact our ability to access capital, which could in the future negatively affect our liquidity and capital resources. Given the rapid and evolving nature of the impact of the virus, responsive measures taken by governmental authorities and the continued uncertainty about its impact on society and the global economy, we cannot predict the extent to which it will affect our operations, particularly if these impacts persist or worsen over an extended period of time. To the extent COVID-19 adversely affects our business operations and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this “ Risk Factors ” section. 9 Unsatisfactory safety performance of our spaceflight systems or security incidents at our facilities could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operation. We manufacture and operate highly sophisticated spaceflight systems that depend on complex technology. We also work cooperatively with our suppliers, subcontractors, venture partners and other parties (collectively, “Third Parties”). Failures and disruptions or compromises to our or our Third Parties’ systems may be caused by natural disasters, accidents, power disruptions, telecommunications failures, acts of terrorism or war, computer viruses, bugs or vulnerabilities, physical or electronic break-ins, human error, intentional conduct, targeted cyberattacks, or similar events or incidents. While we have built operational processes to ensure that the design, manufacture, performance and servicing of our spaceflight systems meet rigorous performance goals, there can be no assurance that we will not experience operational or process failures and other problems, including through manufacturing or design defects, pilot error, failure of Third Party safeguards, natural disasters, cyber-attacks, or other intentional acts, that could result in potential safety risks. There can be no assurance that our preparations, or those of Third Parties, will be able to prevent any such incidents. Any actual or perceived safety issues may result in significant reputational harm to our businesses, in addition to tort liability, maintenance, increased safety infrastructure and other costs that may arise. Such issues with our spaceflight systems, facilities, or customer safety could result in delaying or cancelling planned flights, increased regulation or other systemic consequences. Our inability to meet our safety standards or adverse publicity affecting our reputation as a result of accidents, mechanical failures, damages to customer property or medical complications could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operation. If any of our systems, the systems of any critical Third Parties upon which we rely or our customers’ systems are, or appear to be, breached or if unauthorized processing of customer or Third-Party data is otherwise performed, public perception of our products services may be harmed, and we may lose business and incur losses or liabilities. Threat actors (such as ransomware groups) are becoming increasingly sophisticated and using tools and techniques that are designed to circumvent security controls, to evade detection and to remove or obfuscate forensic evidence. Our and our Third Parties’ technology systems and networks may be damaged, disrupted, or compromised by malicious events, such as cyberattacks (including computer viruses, ransomware, and other malicious and destructive code, phishing attacks, and denial of service attacks), physical or electronic security breaches, natural disasters, fire, power loss, telecommunications failures, personnel misconduct, and human error. Such attacks or security breaches may be perpetrated by internal bad actors, such as employees or contractors, or by third parties. Furthermore, because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or sabotage systems change frequently and generally are not identified until after they are launched against a target, we and our Third Parties may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. While we have implemented what we believe is an appropriate information security program with cybersecurity procedures, practices, and controls, the control systems, cybersecurity program, infrastructure, physical facilities of, and personnel associated with Third Parties that we rely on are beyond our control and we cannot guarantee that our or our Third Parties’ systems and networks have not been breached or that they do not contain exploitable defects or bugs that could result in a breach of or disruption to our systems and networks or the systems and networks of Third Parties that support us and our products and services. In addition, our defensive measures, including back-up systems and disaster recovery plans, or those of our critical Third Parties, may fail to timely or effectively anticipate, detect, prevent or allow us to recover from cyberattacks. Our costs to adequately counter the risk of cyber-attacks and to comply with contractual and/or regulatory compliance requirements may increase significantly in the future. If there is a security vulnerability, error, or other bug in one of ours or our critical Third-Party systems or if there is a security exploit targeting them, we could face increased costs, claims, liability, reduced revenue, and harm to our reputation or competitive position. Because we do not maintain cybersecurity insurance, these costs will come directly from us and this could harm our financial condition. The market for commercial spaceflight has not been established with precision. It is still emerging and may not achieve the growth potential we expect or may grow more slowly than expected. The market for commercial spaceflight has not been established with precision and is still emerging. Our estimates for the total addressable market for commercial spaceflight are based on a number of internal and third-party estimates, including our current backlog, the number of consumers, assumed flight cadence, our ability to leverage our current manufacturing and operational processes and general market conditions. While we believe our assumptions and the data underlying our estimates are reasonable, these assumptions and estimates may not be correct. The conditions supporting our assumptions or estimates may change at any time, thereby reducing the predictive accuracy of these underlying factors. As a result, our estimates of the annual total addressable market for commercial spaceflight, as well as the expected growth rate for the total addressable market for that experience, may prove to be incorrect. 10 We may experience delayed launches, launch failures, failure of our satellites or lunar landers to reach their planned orbital locations, significant increases in the costs related to launches of satellites and lunar landers, and insufficient capacity available from satellite and lunar lander launch providers. Any such issue could result in the loss of our satellites and lunar landers or cause significant delays in their deployment, which could harm our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. Delays in launching satellites or landers are common and can result from manufacturing delays, unavailability of reliable launch opportunities with suppliers, launch supplier schedule delays, delays in obtaining required regulatory approvals, changes in landing coordinates, updates to mission specifications (including mission scope and objectives) and launch failures. If satellite or lander manufacturing schedules are not met, a launch opportunity may not be available at the time the satellites or landers are ready to be launched. We also share launches with other manufacturers who may cause launch delays that are outside of our control. In addition, launch vehicles or satellite deployment mechanisms may fail, which could result in the destruction of any satellites or landers we have in such launch vehicle or an inability for the satellites or landers to perform their intended mission. Launch failures also result in significant delays in the deployment of satellites or landers because of the need to manufacture replacement parts, which typically takes up to six months or longer, and to obtain another launch opportunity. We also regularly review intended landing coordinates in order to determine the optimal landing site for our landers in consultation with NASA, while also updating mission specifications such as the scope of missions and the mission objectives. As such, from time to time, we have made, and expect to continue to make, material modifications to our missions, each of which may, alone or in the aggregate, cause us to experience material delays. Further, it could be more costly, and potentially prohibitively more costly, for us to launch and deploy our satellites or landers in the future due to increases in the cost of launches, launch insurance rates and launch-related services. Any launch failure, underperformance, delay, or increase in the cost of satellite or lander launches or related services could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, business prospects and financial condition. Customer concentration creates risks for our business. Over 80% of our revenues each year comes from a small number of customers. To the extent that any large customer fails to meet its purchase commitments, changes its ordering patterns or business strategy, or otherwise reduces its purchases or stops purchasing our products or services, or if we experience difficulty in meeting the demand by these customers for our products or services, our revenues and results of operations could be adversely affected. We may experience a total loss of our technology and products and our customers’ payloads if there is an accident on launch or during the journey into space, and any insurance we have may not be adequate to cover our loss. Also, due to the inherent risks associated with commercial spaceflight, there is the possibility that any accident or catastrophe could lead to the loss of human life or a medical emergency. Although there have been and will continue to be technological advances in spaceflight, it is still an inherently dangerous activity. Explosions and other accidents on launch or during the flight have occurred and will likely occur in the future. If such incident should occur, we will likely experience a total loss of our systems, products, technologies and services and our customers’ payloads. The total or partial loss of one or more of our products or customer payloads could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. For some missions, we can elect to buy launch insurance, which can reduce our monetary losses from the launch failure, but even in this case we will have losses associated with our inability to test our technology in space and delays with further technology development. Further, commercial spaceflight is an inherently risky activity that can lead to accidents or catastrophes impacting human life. It is impossible to completely eliminate the potential for human error, and there is a possibility that other accidents may occur in the future as a result of human error or for a variety of other reasons, some of which may be out of our control. Any such accident could result in substantial losses to us, including reputational harm and legal liability, and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The release, unplanned ignition, explosion, or improper handling of dangerous materials used in our business could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our financial results. Our business operations involve the handling, production and disposition of potentially explosive and ignitable energetic materials and other dangerous chemicals, including materials used in rocket propulsion. The handling, production, transport and disposition of hazardous materials could result in incidents that temporarily shut down or otherwise disrupt our manufacturing operations and could cause production delays. A release of these chemicals or an unplanned ignition or explosion could result in death or significant injuries to employees and others. Material property damage to us and third parties could also occur. Extensive regulations apply to the handling of explosive and energetic materials, including but not limited to regulations governing hazardous substances and hazardous waste. The failure to properly store and ultimately dispose of such materials could create significant liability and/or result in regulatory sanctions. Any release, unplanned ignition, or explosion could expose us to adverse publicity or liability for damages or cause production delays, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition and/or cash flows. 11 We rely on a limited number of suppliers for certain materials and supplied components. We may not be able to obtain sufficient materials or supplied components to meet our manufacturing and operating needs, or obtain such materials on favorable terms. We rely on a limited number of suppliers for certain raw materials and supplied components. We may not be able to obtain sufficient raw materials or supplied components to meet our manufacturing and operating needs, or obtain such materials on favorable terms, which could impair our ability to fulfill our orders in a timely manner or increase our costs of production. Our ability to manufacture our launch vehicles is dependent upon sufficient availability of raw materials and supplied components, which we secure from a limited number of suppliers. Our reliance on suppliers to secure these raw materials and supplied components exposes us to volatility in the prices and availability of these materials. We may not be able to obtain sufficient supply of raw materials or supplied components, on favorable terms or at all, which could result in delays in manufacture of our spacecraft or increased costs. In addition, we have in the past and may in the future experience delays in manufacture or operation as we go through the requalification process with any replacement third-party supplier, as well as the limitations imposed by the International Trade in Arms Regulations administered by the U.S. Department of State (“ITAR”) and other restrictions on transfer of sensitive technologies. Additionally, the imposition of tariffs on such raw materials or supplied components could have a material adverse effect on our operations. Prolonged disruptions in the supply of any of our key raw materials or components, difficulty qualifying new sources of supply, implementing use of replacement materials or new sources of supply or any volatility in prices could have a material adverse effect on our ability to operate in a cost-efficient, timely manner and could cause us to experience cancellations or delays of scheduled launches, customer cancellations or reductions in our prices and margins, any of which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our revenue, results of operations and reputation may be negatively impacted if our products contain defects or fail to operate in the expected manner. We sell complex and technologically advanced products and services, including rocket launch services, mission services, spacecraft and spacecraft components. Sophisticated software used in our products and services, including software developed by us, may contain defects that can unexpectedly interfere with the software’s intended operation. Defects may also occur in components and products that we manufacture or purchase from third parties. Most of the launch vehicles, spacecraft and spacecraft components we have developed must function under demanding and unpredictable operating conditions and in harsh and potentially destructive environments. Our products and services may not be successfully implemented, pass required acceptance criteria, or operate or give the desired output, or we may not be able to detect and fix all defects in the launch vehicles, spacecraft, spacecraft components and systems we sell and/or use. Failure to do so could result in lost revenue and damage to our reputation and may adversely affect our ability to win new contract awards. Rising inflation may materially impact our financial operations or results of operations. Recently, inflation has increased to its highest level in decades. Inflation in the economy has resulted in, and may continue to result in, higher interest rates and capital costs, shipping costs, supply shortages, increased costs of labor and other similar effects. As a result of inflation, we have and may continue to experience cost increases. Although we may take measures to mitigate the impact of inflation, if these measures are not effective, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. Our business is substantially dependent on contracts entered into with customers in the ordinary course of business. As such, we are subject to counterparty risk. If a counterparty to one of our contracts were to default or otherwise fail to perform or be delayed in its performance on any of its contractual obligations to us, such default, failure to perform or delay could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our business is substantially dependent on contracts entered into with customers, in the ordinary course of business. Our budgeted capital expenditures, forecasted growth and strategic plan are based on revenues expected to be generated pursuant to signed contracts existing as of the date such budget, forecast and strategic plan are approved by management and our Board. If a customer were to default or otherwise fail to perform or be delayed in the fulfilment of its contractual obligations to us, we would be required to adjust our budget, forecasts and strategic plans to mitigate the impact of such circumstance, which may negatively affect our business, financial condition, cash flows and/or liquidity. Additionally, if the scope of anticipated work related to any customer contract were to change due to unforeseen circumstances or evolving requirements of one or more of our counterparties, we may be unable to generate revenue on our anticipated timeline or may be required to incur increased costs from those originally estimated for a project, which could cause our budgets, forecasts and plans to be inaccurate. For instance, due to a change in the landing site of the IM-1 mission and an incremental delay in milestone payments due to a now-resolved technical issue, certain revenue associated with such mission have shifted from 2022 to 2023. While we endeavor to mitigate this risk by assuming potential delays in revenue generation and estimated contract progress when preparing our budget, forecast and strategic plans, it is not possible to predict with accuracy the impact of any default, failure to perform or delay, which results in our inability to completely mitigate such risks. As such, the counterparty default, failure to perform or delay in performance may have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. 12 If our prime contractors fail to maintain their relationships with their counterparties and fulfill their contractual obligations, our performance as a subcontractor and our ability to obtain future business could be materially and adversely impacted and our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated. We act as a subcontractor to prime contractors on multiple government contracts, including NASA’s JETS Program. Our performance as a subcontractor on a government contract, including the JETS Program, is dependent on the prime contractor’s ability to satisfactorily maintain its relationship with the government and fulfill its obligations under its contracts. A failure by the prime contractors to fulfill their obligations under their contracts could result in the termination of the prime contract or delayed revenue generation and recognition, thereby resulting in either the termination of our subcontract or material modifications to our subcontract. If any significant subcontract is terminated or delayed in this manner, it could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated. Risks Relating to Compliance with Law, Government Regulation and Litigation Our business with various governmental entities is subject to the policies, priorities, regulations, mandates and funding levels of such governmental entities and may be negatively or positively impacted by any change thereto. We are subject to a wide variety of laws and regulations relating to various aspects of our business, including with respect to our launch system operations, employment and labor, health care, tax, data privacy of the personal information we collect and process and data security of the operational and information technology we use, health and safety, and environmental issues. Laws and regulations at the foreign, federal, state and local levels frequently change and are often interpreted in different ways, especially in relation to new and emerging industries, and we cannot always reasonably predict the impact from, or the ultimate cost of compliance with, current or future regulatory or administrative changes. While we monitor these developments and devote a significant amount of management’s time and external resources towards compliance with these laws, regulations and guidelines, we cannot guarantee that these measures will be satisfactory to regulators or other third parties, such as our customers. Moreover, changes in law, the imposition of new or additional regulations or the enactment of any new or more stringent legislation that impacts our business could require us to change the way we operate and could have a material adverse effect on our sales, profitability, cash flows and financial condition. Failure to comply with these laws, such as with respect to obtaining and maintaining licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits critical for the operation of our business, may result in civil penalties or private lawsuits, or the suspension or revocation of licenses, certificates, authorizations or permits, which would prevent us from operating our business. For example, the operation and launch of our spacecraft in the United States require licenses and permits from the Federal Communications Commission (the “FCC”) and the Federal Aviation Administration (the “FAA”), as well as review by other agencies of the U.S. Government, including the Department of Defense, Department of State, and NASA. Such license approvals may include an interagency review of safety, operational, national security, foreign policy implications and international obligations, as well as a review of foreign ownership. Any delays in regulatory actions allowing us to conduct our commercial space operations could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results. If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets and know how, our business and competitive position may be harmed. We rely upon unpatented trade secret protection, unpatented know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our business and competitive position, and we consider trade secrets and know-how to be our primary form of intellectual property protection. We seek to protect our proprietary technology, in part, by entering into confidentiality agreements with our suppliers, subcontractors, venture partners, employees and consultants, and other third parties. However, we may not be able to prevent the unauthorized disclosure or use of information which we consider to be confidential, our technical know-how or other trade secrets by the parties to these agreements, despite the existence generally of confidentiality provisions and other contractual restrictions. Monitoring unauthorized uses and disclosures is difficult, and we do not know whether the steps we have taken to protect our proprietary technologies will be effective. If any of the suppliers, subcontractors, venture partners, employees and consultants, and other third parties who are parties to these agreements breaches or violates the terms of any of these agreements, we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach or violation, and we could lose our trade secrets as a result. It is also possible that our trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information could be obtained by third parties as a result of breaches of our physical or electronic security systems. Even where remedies are available, enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated our trade secrets, like patent litigation, is expensive and time consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, courts outside the United States are sometimes less willing to protect trade secrets. Additionally, despite our efforts to protect our proprietary technology, our trade secrets could otherwise become known or be independently discovered by our competitors. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor or other third party, we would have no right to prevent them, or those to whom they communicate, from using that technology or information to compete with us. 13 Our systems utilize third-party open source software, and any failure to comply with the terms of one or more of these open source software licenses could adversely affect our business, subject us to litigation, or create potential liability. Our systems include software licensed from third parties under any one or more open source licenses, and we expect to continue to incorporate open source software in our systems and technology in the future. Moreover, we cannot ensure that we have effectively monitored our use of open source software, or validated the quality or source of such software, or that we are in compliance with the terms of the applicable open source licenses or our current policies and procedures. From time to time, there have been claims against companies that use open source software in their products and services asserting that the use of such open source software infringes the claimants’ intellectual property rights. As a result, we could be subject to suits by third parties claiming that what we believe to be licensed open source software infringes such third parties’ intellectual property rights. Additionally, if an author or other third party that distributes such open source software were to allege that we had not complied with the conditions of one or more of these licenses, we could be required to incur significant legal expenses defending against such allegations and could be subject to significant damages and required to comply with onerous conditions or restrictions on these solutions, which could disrupt the distribution and sale of these solutions. Litigation could be costly for us to defend, have a negative effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, or require us to devote additional research and development resources to change our solutions. Furthermore, these third-party open source providers could experience service outages, data loss, privacy breaches, cyber-attacks, and other events relating to the applications and services they provide that could diminish the utility of these services, and which could harm our business as a result. In the past, we’ve experienced software vulnerabilities with our software providers. We may continue to experience such vulnerabilities in the future. Use of open source software may entail greater risks than use of third-party commercial software, as open source licensors generally do not provide warranties or other contractual protections regarding infringement claims or the quality of the code, including with respect to security vulnerabilities where open source software may be more susceptible. In addition, certain open source licenses require that source code for software programs that incorporate, use or combine with such open source software be made available to the public at no cost and that any modifications or derivative works to such open source software continue to be licensed under the same terms as the open source software license. The terms of various open source licenses to which we are subject have not or may not have been interpreted by courts in the relevant jurisdictions, and there is a risk that such licenses could be construed in a manner that imposes unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to market or provide our software and data. By the terms of certain open source licenses, we could be required to release the source code of our proprietary software, and to make our proprietary software available under open source licenses, if we combine our proprietary software with open source software in a certain manner. In the event that portions of our proprietary software are determined to be subject to an open source license, we could be required to publicly release the affected portions of our source code, re-engineer all or a portion of our solutions, or otherwise be limited in the licensing of our solutions, each of which could reduce or eliminate the value of our solutions. Disclosing our proprietary source code could allow our competitors to create similar products with lower development effort and time and ultimately could result in a loss of sales. Furthermore, any such re-engineering or other remedial efforts could require significant additional research and development resources, and we may not be able to successfully complete any such re-engineering or other remedial efforts. Any of these events could create liability for us and damage our reputation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition and the market price of our shares. Intuitive Machines OpCo has identified material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting. If not remediated, or if Intuitive Machines OpCo experiences additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fails to maintain effective internal controls in the future, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations in future reporting periods, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our Class A Common Stock. As an emerging growth company, we are in the process of developing our internal processes and procedures to accommodate our rapid growth in recent years and transition to public company following the closing of the Transactions. Although our management concluded that IPAX’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, which was prior to the closing of the Transactions, was effective (as described in Part II. Item 9A. “Controls and Procedures” of this Annual Report), in the course of preparing the consolidated financial statements of Intuitive Machines OpCo as of December 31, 2022 that will be included in Amendment No. 2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed on or about March 30, 2023, our management determined that Intuitive Machines OpCo has three material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting. These material weaknesses primarily relate to the following matters that are relevant to the preparation of the Intuitive Machines OpCo’s consolidated financial statements and that may impact the preparation of our consolidated financial statements for future reporting periods included in filings made after this Annual Report: ● We did not design and maintain effective controls over identification of performance obligations and timing of revenue recognition for certain contracts, as well as the review and reconciliation of certain revenue schedules to the trial balance. 14 ● We did not design and maintain effective controls over the identification and recognition of non-routine, unusual or complex transactions. ● We did not maintain proper segregation of duties related to the posting of manual journal entries to the trial balance. These deficiencies could result in a misstatement of one or more account balances or disclosures potentially leading to a material misstatement to the annual or interim consolidated financial statements which may not be prevented or timely detected and, accordingly, management determined that these control deficiencies constitute material weaknesses. In order to remediate these material weaknesses, we have taken and plan to take the following actions: ● Continuing to hire personnel with public company experience and providing additional training for our personnel on internal controls as our company continues to grow; ● Implementing additional controls and processes that operate at a sufficient level of precision and frequency or that evidence the performance of the control, particularly associated with accounting and reporting of revenue and non-routine, unusual or complex transactions; ● Implementing processes and controls to better identify and manage segregation of duties; ● Considering system enhancements to reduce reliance on manual processes; and ● Engaging an external advisor to assist with evaluating and documenting the design and operating effectiveness of internal controls and assisting with the remediation of deficiencies, as necessary. We will not be able to fully remediate these control deficiencies until these steps have been completed, have been operating effectively for a sufficient period of time and management has concluded, through testing, that these controls are effective. Intuitive Machines OpCo and Grant Thornton LLP, Intuitive Machines OpCo’s auditor during the year ended December 31, 2022 and our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2023, were not required to, and did not, perform an evaluation of Intuitive Machines OpCo’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 or any period in accordance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we have identified all, or that we will not in the future have additional, material weaknesses. Because our financial statements for future reporting periods will be prepared on a consolidated basis with the financial statements of Intuitive Machines OpCo beginning from the Closing Date, material weaknesses may still exist when we report on the combined company’s effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as required under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in our future annual reports on Form 10-K. If not remediated, these material weaknesses could result in material misstatements to our future annual or interim consolidated financial statements that might not be prevented or detected on a timely basis, or in delayed filing of required periodic reports. If we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our common stock could be adversely affected and we could become subject to litigation or investigations by Nasdaq, the SEC, or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources. The U.S. government’s budget deficit and the national debt, as well as any inability of the U.S. government to complete its budget process for any government fiscal year could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The U.S. government’s budget deficit and the national debt, as well as any inability of the U.S. government to complete its budget process for any government fiscal year and consequently having to shut down or operate on funding levels equivalent to its prior fiscal year pursuant to a “continuing resolution,” could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Considerable uncertainty exists regarding how future budget and program decisions will unfold, including the defense spending priorities of the U.S. government, what challenges budget reductions will present for the defense industry and whether annual appropriations bills for all agencies will be enacted for U.S. government fiscal year 2023 and thereafter due to many factors, including but not limited to, changes in the political environment, including before or after a change to the leadership within the government administration, and any resulting uncertainty or changes in policy or priorities and resultant funding. The U.S. government’s budget deficit and the national debt could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows in a number of ways, including the following: ● The U.S. government could reduce or delay its spending on, reprioritize its spending away from, or decline to provide funding for the government programs in which we participate; 15 ● U.S. government spending could be impacted by alternate arrangements to sequestration, which increases the uncertainty as to, and the difficulty in predicting, U.S. government spending priorities and levels; and ● We may experience declines in revenue, profitability and cash flows as a result of reduced or delayed orders or payments or other factors caused by economic difficulties of our customers and prospective customers, including U.S. federal, state and local governments. Furthermore, we believe continued budget pressures could have serious negative consequences for the security of the U.S., the defense industrial base and the customers, employees, suppliers, investors and communities that rely on companies in the defense industrial base. Budget and program decisions made in this environment would have long-term implications for us and the entire defense industry. We are subject to stringent U.S. export and import control laws and regulations and U.S. economic sanctions and trade control laws and regulations. We are required to comply with U.S. export control laws and regulations, including ITAR, Bureau of Political Military Affairs’ directorate of Defense Trade controls administered by the U.S. Department of State, and the EAR, administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security. Pursuant to these foreign trade control laws and regulations, we are required, among other things, to (i) maintain a registration under ITAR, (ii) determine the proper licensing jurisdiction and export classification of products, software, and technology, and (iii) obtain licenses or other forms of U.S. government authorization to engage in the conduct of our space transport business. Violations of applicable export control laws and related regulations could result in criminal and administrative penalties, including fines, possible denial of export privileges, and debarment, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, including our ability to enter into contracts or subcontracts for U.S. government customers. The inability to secure and maintain necessary export authorizations could negatively impact our ability to compete successfully or to operate our spaceflight business as planned. For example, if we were unable to obtain or maintain our licenses to export certain spacecraft hardware, we would be effectively prohibited from launching our vehicles from certain non-U.S. locations, which would limit the number of launch providers we could use. In addition, if we were unable to obtain a Department of State Technical Assistance Agreement to export certain launch related services, we would experience difficulties or even be unable to perform integration activities necessary to safely integrate our transfer vehicles to non-U.S. launch vehicles. In both cases, these restrictions could lead to higher launch costs which may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. Similarly, if we were unable to secure effective export licensure to authorize the full scope of activity with a foreign partner or supplier, we may be required to make design changes to spacecraft or updates to our supplier chain, which may result in increased costs to us or delays in vehicle launches. Any changes in the export control regulations or U.S. government licensing policy, such as those necessary to implement U.S. government commitments to multilateral control regimes, may restrict our operations. There is no inherent right to perform an export and given the significant discretion the government has adjudicating such authorizations in furtherance of U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, there can be no assurance we will be successful in our current and future efforts to secure and maintain necessary licenses, registrations, or other U.S. government regulatory approvals. In addition, U.S. export control laws continue to change. For example, the control lists under the ITAR and the EAR are periodically updated to reclassify specific types of export-controlled technology. For example, any changes to the jurisdictional assignment of controlled data or hardware used by us could result in the need for different export authorizations, each then subject to a subsequent approval. Similarly, should exceptions or exemptions under the EAR or ITAR, respectively, be changed, our activities otherwise authorized via these mechanisms may become unavailable and could result in the need for additional export authorizations. Additionally, changes to the administrative implementation of export control laws at the agency level may suddenly change as a result of geo-political events, which could result in existing or proposed export authorization applications being viewed in unpredictable ways, or potentially rejected, as a result of the changed agency level protocol. We depend significantly on U.S. government contracts, which often are only partially funded, subject to immediate termination, and heavily regulated and audited. The termination or failure to fund, or negative audit findings for, one or more of these contracts could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Over its lifetime, a U.S. government program may be implemented by the award of many different individual contracts and subcontracts. The funding of U.S. government programs is subject to U.S. Congressional appropriations. In recent years, U.S. government appropriations have been affected by larger U.S. government budgetary issues and related legislation. Although multi-year contracts may be authorized and appropriated in connection with major procurements, the U.S. Congress generally appropriates funds on a government fiscal year basis. Procurement funds are typically made available for obligation over the course of one to three years. Consequently, programs often initially receive only partial funding, and additional funds are obligated only as the U.S. Congress authorizes further appropriations. We cannot predict the extent to which total funding and/or funding for individual programs will be included, increased or reduced as part of the annual appropriations process ultimately approved by the U.S. Congress and the President of the United States or in separate supplemental appropriations or continuing resolutions, as applicable. The termination of funding for a U.S. government program would result in a loss of anticipated future revenue attributable to that program, which could have an adverse impact on our operations. In addition, the termination of a program or the failure to commit additional funds to a program that already has been started could result in lost revenue and increase our overall costs of doing business. 16 Generally, U.S. government contracts are subject to oversight audits by U.S. government representatives. Such audits could result in adjustments to our contract costs. Any costs found to be improperly allocated to a specific contract will not be reimbursed, and such costs already reimbursed must be refunded. We have recorded contract revenue based on costs we expect to realize upon final audit. However, we do not know the outcome of any future audits and adjustments, and we may be required to materially reduce our revenue or profits upon completion and final negotiation of audits. Negative audit findings could also result in termination of a contract, forfeiture of profits, suspension of payments, fines or suspension or debarment from U.S. government contracting or subcontracting for a period of time. In addition, U.S. government contracts generally contain provisions permitting termination, in whole or in part, without prior notice at the U.S. government’s convenience upon payment only for work done and commitments made at the time of termination. For some contracts, we are a subcontractor and not the prime contractor, and in those arrangements, the U.S. government could terminate the prime contractor for convenience without regard for our performance as a subcontractor. We can give no assurance that one or more of our U.S. government contracts will not be terminated under those circumstances. Also, we can give no assurance that we would be able to procure new contracts to offset the revenue or backlog lost as a result of any termination of our U.S. government contracts. Because a significant portion of our revenue is dependent on our performance and payment under our U.S. government contracts, the loss of one or more large contracts could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Our contracts and services with the U.S. government are also subject to specific procurement regulations and a variety of socioeconomic and other requirements. These requirements, although customary in U.S. government contracts, increase our performance and compliance costs. These costs might increase in the future, thereby reducing our margins, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, the U.S. government has and may continue to implement initiatives focused on efficiencies, affordability and cost growth and other changes to its procurement practices. These initiatives and changes to procurement practices may change the way U.S. government contracts are solicited, negotiated and managed, which may affect whether and how we pursue opportunities to provide our products and services to the U.S. government, including the terms and conditions under which we do so, which may have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. For example, contracts awarded under the Department of Defense’s Other Transaction Authority for research and prototypes generally require cost-sharing and may not follow, or may follow only in part, standard U.S. government contracting practices and terms, such as the Federal Acquisition Regulation and Cost Accounting Standards. Failure to comply with applicable regulations and requirements could lead to fines, penalties, repayments, or compensatory or treble damages, or suspension or debarment from U.S. government contracting or subcontracting for a period of time. Among the causes for debarment are violations of various laws and regulations, including those related to procurement integrity, export control (including ITAR), U.S. government security, employment practices, protection of the environment, accuracy of records, proper recording of costs and foreign corruption. The termination of a U.S. government contract or relationship as a result of any of these acts would have an adverse impact on our operations and could have an adverse effect on our standing and eligibility for future U.S. government contracts. Uncertain global macro-economic and political conditions could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Our results of operations are materially affected by economic and political conditions in the U.S. and internationally, including inflation, deflation, interest rates, availability of capital, energy and commodity prices, trade laws and the effects of governmental initiatives to manage economic conditions. Current or potential customers may delay or decrease spending on our products and services as their business and/or budgets are impacted by economic and political conditions. The inability of current and potential customers to pay us for our products and services may adversely affect our earnings and cash flows. The current invasion of Ukraine by Russia has escalated tensions among the U.S., the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (“NATO”) and Russia. The U.S. and other NATO member states, as well as non-member states, have announced new sanctions against Russia and certain Russian banks, enterprises and individuals. These and any future additional sanctions and any resulting conflict between Russia, the U.S. and NATO countries could have an adverse impact on our current operations. Further, such invasion, ongoing military conflict, resulting sanctions and related countermeasures by NATO states, the U.S. and other countries have led, and are likely to continue to lead, to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions for equipment, which could have an adverse impact on our operations and financial performance. 17 Risks Relating to Our Capital Resources Our indebtedness could expose us to risks that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In the future, we may incur additional indebtedness. Our indebtedness could have significant negative consequences for our security holders, business, results of operations and financial condition by, among other things: ● increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions; ● limiting our ability to obtain additional financing; ● requiring the dedication of a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to service our indebtedness, which will reduce the amount of cash available for other purposes; ● limiting our flexibility to plan for, or react to, changes in our business; and ● placing us at a possible competitive disadvantage with competitors that are less leveraged than us or have better access to capital. Our business may not generate sufficient funds, and we may otherwise be unable to maintain sufficient cash reserves to pay any additional indebtedness that we may incur. In addition, any future indebtedness that we may incur may contain financial and other restrictive covenants that will limit our ability to operate our business, raise capital or make payments under our indebtedness. If we fail to comply with such covenants or to make payments under any of our indebtedness when due, then we would be in default under that indebtedness, which could, in turn, result in that indebtedness becoming immediately payable in full and cross-default or cross-acceleration under our other indebtedness and other liabilities. Our actual operating results may differ significantly from our guidance. From time to time, we have released, and may continue to release, guidance in our quarterly earnings releases, quarterly earnings conference calls, or otherwise, regarding our future performance that represents our management’s estimates as of the date of release. This guidance, which includes forward-looking statements, has been and will be based on projections prepared by our management. These projections are not prepared with a view toward compliance with published guidelines of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and neither our registered public accountants nor any other independent expert or outside party compiles or examines the projections. Accordingly, no such person expresses any opinion or any other form of assurance with respect to the projections. Projections are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while presented with numerical specificity, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, such as COVID-19, and are based upon specific assumptions with respect to future business decisions, some of which will change. The rapidly evolving market in which we operate may make it difficult to evaluate our current business and our future prospects, including our ability to plan for and model future growth. We intend to state possible outcomes as high and low ranges which are intended to provide a sensitivity analysis as variables are changed. However, actual results will vary from our guidance and the variations may be material. The principal reason that we release guidance is to provide a basis for our management to discuss our business outlook as of the date of release with analysts and investors. We do not accept any responsibility for any projections or reports published by any such persons. Investors are urged not to rely upon our guidance in making an investment decision regarding our common stock. Any failure to successfully implement our operating strategy or the occurrence of any of the events or circumstances set forth in this “ Risk Factors ” section could result in our actual operating results being different from our guidance, and the differences may be adverse and material. We have a history of losses and may not achieve profitability in the future. We will need substantial additional capital to fund our operations. If we fail to obtain additional capital, we may be unable to sustain operations. We expect to continue to incur operating losses for the foreseeable future as we continue to expand and develop, and we may need additional capital from external sources. If we are unable to raise additional capital, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue one or more of our R&D programs. We may be required to cease operations or seek partners for our product candidates at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable and on terms that are less favorable than might otherwise be available. In the absence of additional capital we may also be required to relinquish, license or otherwise dispose of rights to technologies, product candidates or products that we would otherwise seek to develop or commercialize on terms that are less favorable than might otherwise be available. If we are unable to secure additional capital, we may be required to take additional measures to reduce costs in order to conserve our cash in amounts sufficient to sustain operations and meet our obligations. These measures could cause significant delays in the development of our product candidates. 18 We are a “smaller reporting company” under federal securities laws and we cannot be certain whether the reduced reporting requirements applicable to such companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors. We are a “smaller reporting company” under federal securities laws. For as long as we continue to be a smaller reporting company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies, including reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company so long as our public float remains less than $250 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or our annual revenues are less than $100 million and our public float remains less than $700 million. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may decline or be more volatile. Our financial results may vary significantly from quarter to quarter. We expect our revenue and operating results to vary from quarter to quarter. Reductions in revenue in a particular quarter could lead to lower profitability in that quarter because a relatively large amount of our expenses are fixed in the short-term. We may incur significant operating expenses during the start-up and early stages of large contracts and may not be able to recognize corresponding revenue in that same quarter. We may also incur additional expenses when contracts are terminated or expire and are not renewed. We may also incur additional expenses when companies are newly acquired. In addition, payments due to us from our customers may be delayed due to billing cycles or as a result of failures of government budgets to gain congressional and administration approval in a timely manner. The U.S. government’s fiscal year ends September 30. If a federal budget for the next federal fiscal year has not been approved by that date in each year, our customers may have to suspend engagements that we are working on until a budget has been approved. Any such suspensions may reduce our revenue in the fourth quarter of the federal fiscal year or the first quarter of the subsequent federal fiscal year. The U.S. government’s fiscal year end can also trigger increased purchase requests from customers for equipment and materials. Any increased purchase requests we receive as a result of the U.S. government’s fiscal year end would serve to increase our third or fourth quarter revenue, but will generally decrease profit margins for that quarter, as these activities generally are not as profitable as our typical offerings. Additional factors that may cause our financial results to fluctuate from quarter to quarter include those addressed elsewhere in this “ Risk Factors ” section and the following factors, among others: ● the terms of customer contracts that affect the timing of revenue recognition; ● variability in demand for our services and solutions; ● commencement, completion or termination of contracts during any particular quarter; ● timing of shipments and product deliveries; ● timing of award or performance incentive fee notices; ● timing of significant bid and proposal costs; ● the costs of remediating unknown defects, errors or performance problems of our product offerings; ● variable purchasing patterns under blanket purchase agreements and other indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity contracts; ● restrictions on and delays related to the export of defense articles and services; ● costs related to government inquiries; ● strategic decisions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs and joint ventures; ● strategic investments or changes in business strategy; ● changes in the extent to which we use subcontractors; ● seasonal fluctuations in our staff utilization rates; 19 ● changes in our effective tax rate, including changes in our judgment as to the necessity of the valuation allowance recorded against our deferred tax assets; and ● the length of sales cycles. Significant fluctuations in our operating results for a particular quarter could cause us to fall out of compliance with the financial covenants related to our debt, which if not waived, could restrict our access to capital and cause us to take extreme measures to pay down the debt, if any. Changes in our accounting estimates and assumptions could negatively affect our financial position and results of operations. We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These accounting principles require us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of our financial statements. We are also required to make certain judgments that affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during each reporting period. We periodically evaluate our estimates and assumptions including, but not limited to, those relating to business acquisitions, revenue recognition, restructuring costs, recoverability of assets including customer receivables, valuation of goodwill and intangibles, contingencies, stock-based compensation and income taxes. We base our estimates on historical experience and various assumptions that we believe to be reasonable based on specific circumstances. These assumptions and estimates involve the exercise of judgment and discretion, which may evolve over time in light of operational experience, regulatory direction, developments in accounting principles and other factors. Actual results could differ from these estimates as a result of changes in circumstances, assumptions, policies or developments in the business, which could materially affect our consolidated financial statements. Risks Relating to Our Organizational Structure Our principal asset is our interest in Intuitive Machines OpCo, and, accordingly, we will depend on distributions from Intuitive Machines OpCo to pay our taxes and expenses, including payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, and to pay dividends. Intuitive Machines OpCo’s ability to make such distributions may be subject to various limitations and restrictions. We are a holding company and have no material assets other than our ownership of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units, Intuitive Machines OpCo Warrants, Intuitive Machines OpCo Preferred Investor Warrants and Intuitive Machines OpCo Series A Units (each as described in Part II. Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this Annual Report). As such, we have no independent means of generating revenue or cash flow, and our ability to pay our taxes and operating expenses or declare and pay dividends in the future are dependent upon the financial results and cash flows of Intuitive Machines OpCo and its subsidiaries and distributions we receive from Intuitive Machines OpCo. Intuitive Machines OpCo and its subsidiaries may not generate sufficient cash flow to distribute funds to us and applicable state law and contractual restrictions, including negative covenants in our debt instruments, may not permit such distributions. We anticipate that Intuitive Machines OpCo will continue to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, as such, will not be subject to any entity-level U.S. federal income tax. Instead, taxable income will be allocated to holders of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units and Intuitive Machines OpCo Series A Units, including us. Accordingly, we will incur income taxes on our allocable share of any net taxable income of Intuitive Machines OpCo. Under the terms of the A&R Operating Agreement, Intuitive Machines OpCo is obligated, subject to various limitations and restrictions, including with respect to any applicable credit agreements, to make tax distributions to holders of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units and Intuitive Machines OpCo Series A Units, including us. In addition to tax expenses, we will also incur expenses related to our operations, including payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, which we expect could be significant. We intend, as its managing member, to cause Intuitive Machines OpCo to make (i) pro rata tax distributions to the Intuitive Machines Members in an amount sufficient to fund all or part of their tax obligations in respect of taxable income allocated to them and to cover our tax obligations, other than with respect to income allocated to the Series A Preferred Units (as defined in Part II. Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this Annual Report) but including payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreement, (ii) additional tax distributions to us to the extent necessary to cover our tax obligations with respect to income from the Series A Preferred Units and (iii) distributions to us to pay our operating expenses and to fund any dividends, including dividends made on the Series A Preferred Stock (as defined in Part II. Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this Annual Report). However, Intuitive Machines OpCo’s ability to make such distributions may be subject to various limitations and restrictions, such as restrictions on distributions that would either violate any contract or agreement to which Intuitive Machines OpCo is then a party, including debt agreements, or any applicable law, or that would have the effect of rendering Intuitive Machines OpCo insolvent. If we do not have sufficient funds to pay our tax or other liabilities or to fund our operations (including, if applicable, as a result of an acceleration of our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement), we may have to borrow funds, which could materially adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition and subject us to various restrictions imposed by any such lenders. To the extent that we are unable to make timely payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement for any reason, such payments generally will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid; provided, however, that nonpayment for a specified period may constitute a material breach of a material obligation under the Tax Receivable Agreement resulting in a termination of the Tax Receivable Agreement and the acceleration of payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreement. 20 Under the A&R Operating Agreement, we intend to cause Intuitive Machines OpCo, from time to time, to make pro rata distributions in cash to each holder of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units (including us) in amounts at least sufficient to cover the taxes imposed on their allocable share of net taxable income of Intuitive Machines OpCo. As a result of (i) potential differences in the amount of net taxable income allocable to us and to Intuitive Machines OpCo’s other members, (ii) the lower tax rate applicable to corporations compared to individuals, and (iii) certain tax benefits that we anticipate from (a) future purchases or redemptions of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units from the Intuitive Machines Members (other than us) and (b) payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, these cash distributions may be in amounts that exceed our actual tax liabilities with respect to the relevant taxable year, including our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement. Our Board will determine the appropriate uses for any such excess cash, which may include, among other uses, the payment of obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement and the payment of other expenses. We will have no obligation to distribute such cash (or other available cash) to our stockholders. No adjustments to the exchange ratio for Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units and corresponding shares of Class A Common Stock will be made as a result of any cash distribution by us or any retention of cash by us, and in any event the ratio will remain one-to-one. To the extent we do not distribute such excess cash as dividends on our stock, we may take other actions with respect to such excess cash, for example, holding such excess cash, or lending it (or a portion thereof) to Intuitive Machines OpCo, which may result in shares of our Class A Common Stock increasing in value relative to the value of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units. Following such loan or a contribution of such excess cash to Intuitive Machines OpCo, we may, but are not required to, make an adjustment to the outstanding number of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units held by the Intuitive Machines Members (other than us). In the absence of such adjustment, the Intuitive Machines Members may benefit from any value attributable to such cash and/or loan balances if they acquire shares of Class A Common Stock in exchange for their Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units, notwithstanding that such holders may have participated previously as holders of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units in distributions that resulted in such excess cash balances. The Tax Receivable Agreement with certain members of Intuitive Machines OpCo (the “TRA Holders”) requires us to make cash payments to them in respect of certain tax benefits to which we may become entitled, and we expect that the payments we will be required to make will be substantial. In connection with the consummation of the Transactions, we entered into a Tax Receivable Agreement with Intuitive Machines OpCo and the TRA Holders. Under the Tax Receivable Agreement, we are required to make cash payments to the TRA Holders equal to 85% of the amount of cash tax savings, if any, that we actually realize, or in certain circumstances are deemed to realize (calculated using certain assumptions), as a result of the Existing Basis, Basis Adjustments and Interest Deductions (each as defined below). Assuming no material changes in the relevant tax law and that we earn sufficient taxable income to realize all tax benefits that are subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement, we expect that the tax savings associated with the (i) Existing Basis, (ii) Basis Adjustments, and (iii) Interest Deductions would aggregate to approximately $170.4 million over 20 years from the Closing Date based on a $10.00 per share trading price of our Class A Common Stock, and assuming all future redemptions or exchanges would occur one year after the Closing Date at the same assumed price per share. Under such scenario, assuming future payments are made on the due date (with extension) of each relevant U.S. federal income tax return, we would be required to pay approximately 87% of such amount, or approximately $148.2 million, over the 20-year period the Closing Date, and we would benefit from the remaining 13% of the tax benefits. We will depend on cash distributions from Intuitive Machines OpCo to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. Any payments made by us to the TRA Holders under the Tax Receivable Agreement will generally reduce the amount of cash that might have otherwise been available to us. Due to the uncertainty of various factors, we cannot precisely quantify the likely tax benefits we will realize as a result of the purchase of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units and Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Unit exchanges, and the resulting amounts we are likely to pay out to the TRA Holders pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement; however, we estimate that such payments will be substantial. The payment obligation is an obligation of us and not of Intuitive Machines OpCo. Any payments made by us to the TRA Holders under the Tax Receivable Agreement will not be available for reinvestment in our business and will generally reduce the amount of overall cash flow that might have otherwise been available to us. To the extent that we are unable to make timely payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement for any reason, such payments will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid by us. Payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement are not conditioned upon one or more of the TRA Holders maintaining a continued ownership interest in Intuitive Machines OpCo or us. Furthermore, if we experience a Change of Control (as defined under the A&R Operating Agreement), which includes certain mergers, asset sales and other forms of business combinations, we would be obligated to make an immediate payment, and such payment may be significantly in advance of, and may materially exceed, the actual realization, if any, of the future tax benefits to which the payment relates. This payment obligation could (i) make us a less attractive target for an acquisition, particularly in the case of an acquirer that cannot use some or all of the tax benefits that are the subject of the Tax Receivable Agreement and (ii) result in holders of our Class A Common Stock receiving substantially less consideration in connection with a change of control transaction than they would receive in the absence of such obligation. Accordingly, the TRA Holders’ interests may conflict with those of the holders of our Class A Common Stock. For more information, see Part III. Item 13. “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence — Tax Receivable Agreement.” 21 In addition, decisions we make in the course of running our business, such as with respect to mergers, asset sales, other forms of business combinations or other changes in control, may influence the timing and amount of payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement. For example, the earlier disposition of assets following a redemption or exchange of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units may accelerate the recognition of associated tax benefits for which we would be required to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement and increase the present value of such payments, and the disposition of assets before a redemption or exchange of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units increase the tax liability of the TRA Holders (or their transferees or assignees) without giving rise to any rights to receive payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement with respect to tax attributes associated with such assets. The ability to generate tax assets covered by the Tax Receivable Agreement, and the actual use of any resulting tax benefits, as well as the amount and timing of any payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, will vary depending upon a number of factors, including the timing of redemptions or exchanges of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units by, or purchases of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units from, the TRA Holders (or their transferees or other assignees), the price of our Class A Common Stock at the time of the redemption, exchange or purchase; the extent to which such redemptions, exchanges or purchases are taxable; the amount and timing of the taxable income allocated to us or otherwise generated by us in the future; the tax rates and laws then applicable and the portion of our payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement constituting imputed interest. In certain cases, payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement to the TRA Holders may be accelerated and/or significantly exceed any actual benefits we realize in respect of the tax attributes subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement. The Tax Receivable Agreement provides that if (i) we materially breach any of our material obligations thereunder or the Tax Receivable Agreement is rejected by operation of law, (ii) certain mergers, asset sales, other forms of business combinations or other changes of control were to occur after the Closing Date or (iii) we elect an early termination of the Tax Receivable Agreement, then our obligations, or our successor’s obligations, under the Tax Receivable Agreement to make payments would be accelerated and become immediately due and payable. The amount due and payable in those circumstances is based on the present value (at a discount rate equal to the secured overnight financing rate (“SOFR”) plus 100 basis points) of projected future tax benefits that are based on certain assumptions, including an assumption that we would have sufficient taxable income to fully use all potential future tax benefits that are subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement. Based on such assumptions, if we were to exercise our termination right, or the Tax Receivable Agreement is otherwise terminated, the aggregate amount of the termination payments would be approximately $100.4 million. As a result of the foregoing, we would be required to make an immediate cash payment that may be made significantly in advance of the actual realization, if any, of such future tax benefits. We could also be required to make cash payments to the TRA Holders that are greater than 85% of the actual cash tax savings we ultimately realize in respect of the tax benefits that are subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement. In these situations, our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement could have a substantial negative impact on our liquidity and could have the effect of deferring or preventing certain mergers, asset sales, other forms of business combinations or other changes of control. We may need to incur debt to finance payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement to the extent our cash resources are insufficient to meet our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement as a result of timing discrepancies or otherwise. We may not be able to fund or finance our obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement. We will not be reimbursed for any payments made to the TRA Holders under the Tax Receivable Agreement in the event that any tax benefits are disallowed. Payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement will be based on the tax reporting positions that we determine, which are complex and factual in nature, and the IRS or another taxing authority may challenge all or part of the tax basis increases or other tax benefits we claim, as well as other related tax positions we take, and a court could sustain such challenge. If the outcome of any such challenge would reasonably be expected to materially affect a recipient’s rights and obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement, then our ability to settle such challenges may be restricted by the rights of the TRA Holders pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement, and such restrictions apply for as long as the Tax Receivable Agreement remains in effect. In addition, we will not be reimbursed for any cash payments previously made to the TRA Holders under the Tax Receivable Agreement in the event that any tax benefits initially claimed by us and for which payment has been made to a TRA Holder are subsequently challenged by a taxing authority and are ultimately disallowed. Instead, any excess cash payments made by us to a TRA Holder will be netted against any future cash payments that we might otherwise be required to make to such TRA Holder under the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreement. However, we might not determine that we have effectively made an excess cash payment to a TRA Holder for a number of years following the initial time of such payment and, if any of our tax reporting positions are challenged by a taxing authority, we will not be permitted to reduce any future cash payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement until any such challenge is finally settled or determined. Moreover, the excess cash payments we made previously under the Tax Receivable Agreement could be greater than the amount of future cash payments against which we would otherwise be permitted to net such excess. As a result, payments could be made under the Tax Receivable Agreement significantly in excess of 85% of the actual cash tax savings that we realize in respect of the tax attributes with respect to a TRA Holder that are the subject of the Tax Receivable Agreement. 22 If Intuitive Machines OpCo were to become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we and Intuitive Machines OpCo might be subject to potentially significant tax inefficiencies, and we would not be able to recover payments we previously made under the Tax Receivable Agreement even if the corresponding tax benefits were subsequently determined to have been unavailable due to such status. We and Intuitive Machines OpCo intend to operate such that Intuitive Machines OpCo does not become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A “publicly traded partnership” is a partnership, the interests of which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof. Under certain circumstances, exercises of the Intuitive Machines OpCo Options, redemptions and exchanges of Intuitive Machines OpCo Common Units pursuant to the Intuitive Machines Members’ redemption and exchange rights as described under Part III. Item 13. “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, Director Independence — A&R Operating Agreement — LLC Unit Redemption Right,” or other transfers of Intuitive Machines OpCo units could cause Intuitive Machines OpCo to be treated as a publicly traded partnership. Applicable U.S. Treasury regulations provide for certain safe harbors from treatment as a publicly traded partnership, and we intend to operate so that redemptions, exchanges and other transfers of Intuitive Machines OpCo units qualify for one or more such safe harbors. For example, we intend to limit the number of unitholders of Intuitive Machines OpCo, and the A&R Operating Agreement provides for limitations on the ability of unitholders of Intuitive Machines OpCo to transfer their Intuitive Machines OpCo units and will provide us, as managing member of Intuitive Machines OpCo, with the right to impose restrictions (in addition to those already in place) on the ability of owners of Intuitive Machines OpCo to redeem, exchange or otherwise transfer their Intuitive Machines OpCo units to the extent we believe it is necessary to ensure that Intuitive Machines OpCo will continue to be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If Intuitive Machines OpCo were to become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, significant tax inefficiencies might result for us and for Intuitive Machines OpCo, including as a result of our inability to file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return with Intuitive Machines OpCo. In addition, we may not be able to realize tax benefits covered under the Tax Receivable Agreement, and we would not be able to recover any payments previously made by us under the Tax Receivable Agreement, even if the corresponding tax benefits (including any claimed increase in the tax basis of Intuitive Machines’ OpCo’s assets) were subsequently determined to have been unavailable. If we were deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, as a result of our ownership of Intuitive Machines OpCo, applicable restrictions could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on our business. Under Sections 3(a)(1)(A) and (C) of the Investment Company Act, a company generally will be deemed to be an “investment company” for purposes of the Investment Company Act if (i) it is, or holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities or (ii) it engages, or proposes to engage, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities and it owns or proposes to acquire investment securities having a value exceeding 40% of the value of its total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. We do not believe that we are an “investment company,” as such term is defined in either of those sections of the Investment Company Act. As the sole managing member of Intuitive Machines OpCo, we control and operate Intuitive Machines OpCo. On that basis, we believe that our interest in Intuitive Machines OpCo is not an “investment security” as that term is used in the Investment Company Act. However, if we were to cease participation in the management of Intuitive Machines OpCo, our interest in Intuitive Machines OpCo could be deemed an “investment security” for purposes of the Investment Company Act. We and Intuitive Machines OpCo intend to continue to conduct our operations so that we will not be deemed an investment company. However, if we were to be deemed an investment company, restrictions imposed by the Investment Company Act, including limitations on our capital structure and our ability to transact with affiliates, could make it impractical for us to continue our business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on our business. We and Intuitive Machines OpCo are controlled by our Founders (as defined below), whose interests may differ from those of our public stockholders. Our Founders, Dr. Kamal Ghaffarian, Stephen Altemus and Timothy Crain and their permitted transferees (collectively, the “Founders”), have control over all stockholder decisions because they control a substantial majority of the combined voting power. This may limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters. Our Founders collectively control approximately 83.2% of the combined voting power of our common stock as a result of their ownership of Class C Common Stock, each share of which is entitled to three votes on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders. As a result, the Intuitive Machines Founders have the ability to control any action requiring the general approval of our stockholders, including the election and removal of directors and thereby determine corporate and management policies, including potential mergers or acquisitions, payment of dividends, asset sales, amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws and other significant corporate transactions for so long as they retain significant ownership of our Class C Common Stock. This concentration of ownership and voting power may also delay, defer or even prevent an acquisition by a third party or other change of control of us and may make some transactions more difficult or impossible without their support, even if such events are in the best interests of minority stockholders. This concentration of voting power may have a negative impact on the trading price of Class A Common Stock. 23 Our Founders are entitled to vote their shares, and shares over which they have voting control, in their own interests, which may not always be in the interests of our stockholders generally. Because our Founders hold their economic interest in our business through Intuitive Machines OpCo, rather than through us, they may have conflicting interests with holders of shares of Class A Common Stock. For example, our Founders may have a different tax position from us, which could influence their decisions regarding whether and when we should dispose of assets or incur new or refinance existing indebtedness, especially in light of the existence of the Tax Receivable Agreement, and whether and when we should undergo certain changes of control within the meaning of the Tax Receivable Agreement or terminate the Tax Receivable Agreement. In addition, the structuring of future transactions may take into consideration these tax or other considerations even where no similar benefit would accrue to us. See Part III. Item 13. “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, Director Independence — Tax Receivable Agreement.” In addition, our Founders’ ability to effectively control us may discourage someone from making a significant equity investment in us, or could discourage transactions involving a change in control, including transactions in which you as a holder of shares of Class A Common Stock might otherwise receive a premium for your shares over the then-current market price. We cannot predict the impact our multi-class structure may have on our stock price. We cannot predict whether our multi-class structure will result in a lower or more volatile market price of our Class A Common Stock or in adverse publicity or other adverse consequences. For example, certain index providers have announced restrictions on including companies with multiple-class share structures in certain of their indices. FTSE Russell and Standard & Poor’s does not allow most newly public companies utilizing dual or multi-class capital structure to be included in their indices. Affected indices include the Russell 2000 and the S&P 500, S&P MidCap 400 and S&P Small Cap 600, which together make up the S&P Composite 1500. Our multi-class capital structure may make us ineligible for inclusion in certain indices, and as a result, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and other investment vehicles that attempt to passively track these indices will not be investing in our stock. In addition, other stock indices may take similar actions. Given the sustained flow of investment funds into passive strategies that seek to track certain indices, exclusion from certain stock indices would likely preclude investment by many of these funds and would make our Class A Common Stock less attractive to other investors. As a result, the trading price and volume of our Class A Common Stock could be adversely affected. Risks Relating to the Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock Delaware law and our Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws contain certain provisions, including anti-takeover provisions, that limit the ability of stockholders to take certain actions and could delay or discourage takeover attempts that stockholders may consider favorable. Our Certificate of Incorporation, and the DGCL, contain provisions that could have the effect of rendering more difficult, delaying, or preventing an acquisition deemed undesirable by the Board and therefore depress the trading price of our Class A Common Stock. These provisions could also make it difficult for stockholders to take certain actions, including electing directors who are not nominated by the then-current members of the Board or taking other corporate actions, including effecting changes in management. Among other things, the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws include provisions regarding: ● the ability of the Board to issue shares of preferred stock, including “blank check” preferred stock and to determine the price and other terms of those shares, including preferences and voting rights, without stockholder approval, which could be used to significantly dilute the ownership of a hostile acquirer; ● the limitation of the liability of, and the indemnification of, our directors and officers; ● the right of the Board to elect a director to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of the Board or the resignation, death or removal of a director, which prevents stockholders from being able to fill vacancies on the Board; ● the requirement that directors may only be removed from the Board for cause and upon the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of the then outstanding capital stock; ● a prohibition from and after the time we cease to be a controlled company under applicable Nasdaq rules, on stockholder action by written consent (except for actions by the holders of Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock or as required for holders of any series of Preferred Stock), which forces stockholder action to be taken at an annual or special meeting of stockholders and could delay the ability of stockholders to force consideration of a stockholder proposal or to take action, including the removal of directors; 24 ● the requirement that a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by the Board, the chairman of the Board or chief executive officer or (ii) for so long as we are a controlled company under applicable Nasdaq rules, by our secretary at the request of any holder of record of at least 25% of the voting power of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock, which could delay the ability of stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or to take action, including the removal of directors; ● controlling the procedures for the conduct and scheduling of the Board and stockholder meetings; ● the requirement for the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of the voting stock, voting together as a single class, to amend, alter, change or repeal certain provisions in the Certificate of Incorporation which could preclude stockholders from bringing matters before annual or special meetings of stockholders and delay changes in the Board and also may inhibit the ability of an acquirer to effect such amendments to facilitate an unsolicited takeover attempt; ● the ability of the Board to amend the By-Laws, which may allow the Board to take additional actions to prevent an unsolicited takeover and inhibit the ability of an acquirer to amend the By-Laws to facilitate an unsolicited takeover attempt; and ● advance notice procedures with which our stockholders must comply to nominate candidates to the Board or to propose matters to be acted upon at a stockholders’ meeting, which could preclude stockholders from bringing matters before annual or special meetings of stockholders and delay changes in the Board and also may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us. These provisions, alone or together, could delay or prevent hostile takeovers and changes in control or changes in the Board or management. In addition, as a Delaware corporation, we will generally be subject to provisions of Delaware law, including the DGCL. Any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, By-Laws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control could limit the opportunity for stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our Class A Common Stock and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our Class A Common Stock. Our Certificate of Incorporation designates a state or federal court located within the State of Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings between us and our stockholders, and the federal district courts as the exclusive forum for Securities Act claims, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to choose the judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, any other court located in the State of Delaware with subject matter jurisdiction, will be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (b) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer, other employee or stockholder of Intuitive Machines, Inc. to it or its stockholders, (c) any action asserting a claim against us or our officers or directors arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, (d) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the Certificate of Incorporation or the By-Laws or any provision thereof, (e) any action asserting a claim against us or any current or former director, officer, employee, stockholder or agent of Intuitive Machines, Inc. governed by the internal affairs doctrine of the law of the State of Delaware or (f) any action asserting an “internal corporate claim” as defined in Section 115 of the DGCL. The Certificate of Incorporation will also provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forum for the resolutions of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. This provision in the Certificate of Incorporation will not address or apply to claims that arise under the Exchange Act; however, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. To the extent these provisions could be construed to apply to such claims, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provisions in connection with such claims, and stockholders cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of our securities of will be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation described in the preceding paragraph. These exclusive-forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum of its choosing for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, and other employees. The enforceability of similar exclusive-forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that, in connection with one or more actions or proceedings described above, a court could rule that this provision in the Certificate of Incorporation is inapplicable or unenforceable. If a court were to find these exclusive-forum provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, which could harm its results of operations. 25 We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq listing standards and, as a result, qualify for, and rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. You may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to such requirements . Our Founders own more than 50% of the combined voting power for the election of directors to the Board, and, as a result, we are considered a “controlled company” for the purposes of the Nasdaq rules. As such, we qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements, including that a majority of the Board consist of “independent directors,” as defined under the Nasdaq rules. In addition, we are not required to have a nominating and corporate governance committee or compensation committee that is composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities or to conduct annual performance evaluations of the nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees. As permitted for a “controlled company,” a majority of our Board and our Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees will not be independent. Accordingly, our stockholders may not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of the Nasdaq rules. If at any time we cease to be a “controlled company” under the Nasdaq rules, the Board intends to take any action that may be necessary to comply with the Nasdaq rules, subject to a permitted “phase-in” period. These and any other actions necessary to achieve compliance with such rules may increase our legal and administrative costs, will make some activities more difficult, time-consuming and costly and may also place additional strain on our personnel, systems and resources. Our Certificate of Incorporation does not limit the ability of Inflection Point Holdings LLC (the “Sponsor”), investment funds affiliated with or advised by Kingstown Capital Management L.P. (the “Kingstown Funds”) or our non-employee directors to compete with us. The Sponsor, the Kingstown Funds and our non-employee directors and their respective affiliates engage in a broad spectrum of activities, including investments in the aerospace industries. In the ordinary course of their business activities, the Sponsor, the Kingstown Funds and our non-employee directors and their respective affiliates may engage in activities where their interests conflict with our interests or those of our stockholders. The Certificate of Incorporation provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, none of the Sponsor, the Kingstown Funds, our non-employee directors or any their respective affiliates (including any non-employee director who serves as an officer in both his or her director and officer capacities) will have any duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same business activities or similar business activities or lines of business in which we operate or otherwise competing with us or any of our affiliates. Further, to the fullest extent permitted by law, no such persons will be liable to us for breach of any fiduciary duty solely by reason of the fact that such person engages in any such activity. The Sponsor, the Kingstown Funds, and their directors and officers may pursue, in their capacities other than as directors of our Board, acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. In addition, the Sponsor, the Kingstown Funds, and their directors and officers may have an interest in pursuing acquisitions, divestitures and other transactions that, in its judgment, could enhance its investment, even though such transactions might involve risks to you. Our business and operations could be negatively affected if it becomes subject to any securities litigation or stockholder activism, which could cause us to incur significant expense, hinder execution of business and growth strategy and impact our stock price. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. Shareholder activism, which could take many forms or arise in a variety of situations, has been increasing recently. Volatility in the stock price of our Class A Common Stock or other reasons may in the future cause it to become the target of securities litigation or stockholder activism. Securities litigation and stockholder activism, including potential proxy contests, could result in substantial costs and divert management’s and our Board’s attention and resources from our business. Additionally, such securities litigation and stockholder activism could give rise to perceived uncertainties as to our future, adversely affect its relationships with service providers and make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel. Also, we may be required to incur significant legal fees and other expenses related to any securities litigation and activist stockholder matters. Further, its stock price could be subject to significant fluctuation or otherwise be adversely affected by the events, risks and uncertainties of any securities litigation and stockholder activism. We may issue shares of preferred stock in the future, which could make it difficult for another company to acquire us or could otherwise adversely affect holders of Class A Common Stock, which could depress the trading price of our Class A Common Stock. Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes us to issue one or more series of preferred stock. Our Board has the authority to determine the preferences, limitations and relative rights of the shares of preferred stock and to fix the number of shares constituting any series and the designation of such series, without any further vote or action by our stockholders. Our preferred stock could be issued with voting, liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to the rights of Class A Common Stock. The potential issuance of preferred stock may delay or prevent a change in control of us, discourage bids for Class A Common Stock at a premium to the market price and materially and adversely affect the market price and the voting and other rights of the holders of Class A Common Stock. 26 Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments. None.