Key Takeaways
- Nasa invests $6.9 million in Interlune to develop technologies for lunar resource extraction, enhancing long-term space missions.
- Interlune will validate tools that allow astronauts to utilize lunar regolith for essential needs like propulsion and life support.
- The project leverages NASA’s MSOLO technology, promoting commercial partnerships and advancing sustainable lunar presence.
NASA’s Investment in Lunar Resource Utilization
NASA is advancing its initiative to support long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars by developing in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies. These capabilities aim to extract valuable resources, such as hydrogen and helium-3, from lunar soil, known as regolith. By utilizing resources available on other planetary bodies, astronauts can significantly enhance their self-sufficiency, relying less on supplies transported from Earth.
To propel this research, NASA has awarded a $6.9 million firm-fixed-price contract to Seattle-based Interlune. The funding will be allocated over the next 18 months and is part of a Phase III NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award, which focuses on transitioning technology into practical applications for NASA missions or the private sector. Interlune’s efforts will center on validating critical resource-prospecting tools aimed at making future lunar missions more autonomous.
This initiative builds on prior work in NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, where Interlune developed and tested payload prototypes under conditions that replicate lunar gravity. Under the new contract, the company will design, construct, and assess engineering development units and flight hardware, which will include tools for collecting lunar regolith samples, sorting particles by size, and extracting solar wind volatile gases.
A notable component of this project is the mass spectrometer that draws on NASA’s Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) technology. Developed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, this compact instrument is engineered to analyze gases and chemical compositions at lunar landing sites. It had previously demonstrated its capabilities during the 2025 Intuitive Machines 2 mission to the lunar South Pole.
According to Michael Johansen, Deputy Program Manager for NASA’s Game Changing Development Program, the evolution of MSOLO into a robust, flight-ready instrument exemplifies a major goal of NASA: to develop transformative technologies that can be reliably adopted by industry. The successful adaptation of this technology for commercial use reflects a significant move towards commercial resource prospecting in space.
NASA’s MSOLO technology is not only adaptable for commercial applications but also features capabilities suitable for variable flight configurations and ground tests. Its internal design includes a hybrid computer for onboard processing and a calibration gas system that facilitates real-time adjustments on the lunar surface. This valuable data is expected to benefit both commercial developers and NASA’s Artemis program, with the software already interfaced with multiple Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) lander designs.
NASA’s investment in commercial lunar surface technology represents a pivotal step toward establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon. By enhancing resource-prospecting instruments, the agency is working to minimize the costs and complexities associated with future lunar exploration missions.
Through its SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, NASA offers funding and support to small businesses and entrepreneurs with fewer than 500 employees, helping to advance aerospace technologies while addressing significant national challenges.
This year, the SBIR/STTR program will introduce a Broad Agency Announcement framework to better support small businesses. Interested parties can submit proposals through the program’s new appendices, with deadlines set for May 21, 2023. Further details on opportunities for collaboration with NASA Technology can be accessed through NASA’s official website.
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