In the vast expanse of space, a quiet revolution is underway. Led by a team of seasoned space industry veterans, a stealth startup known as Interlune is making waves in the realm of in-space resource mining. With its recent funding announcement and ambitious goals, Interlune is poised to redefine the boundaries of space exploration and resource utilization.
Securing Funding and Unveiling Ambitions:
Interlune, operating discreetly in stealth mode, recently made headlines with the disclosure of its $15.6 million funding round, with plans to raise an additional $2.1 million, as reported in a recent SEC filing and first revealed by TechCrunch. The Seattle-based startup is helmed by a stellar lineup of former Blue Origin executives, including Rob Meyerson, former president of Blue Origin, Gary Lai, former chief architect, and Indra Hornsby, former EVP of Rocket Lab.
The Veil of Secrecy:
Founded in 2020, Interlune has operated under a veil of secrecy since its inception. While details about the company’s operations remain sparse, its website offers tantalizing insights into its mission: “harvesting natural resources from space to benefit Earth and establish an in-space economy.”
Pioneering Lunar Resource Mining:
One of Interlune’s flagship projects centers around lunar regolith sorting, a critical component of future lunar resource utilization efforts. The company secured an SBIR Phase I award last year to develop and demonstrate technology capable of sorting lunar regolith by size for oxygen extraction systems and 3D printing on the Moon.
The proposed technology promises to revolutionize lunar resource extraction with its reliability and efficiency. By leveraging centrifugal motion to guide particles through a screen, Interlune aims to create a system that is not only more reliable but also boasts a 5x lower mass compared to traditional sieves.
Leveraging Lunar Resources for Earth and Beyond:
Beyond lunar exploration, Interlune envisions harnessing lunar resources for applications here on Earth. With NASA’s focus on establishing a permanent lunar settlement, the demand for in-situ resource utilization technologies has never been greater. The lunar south pole, with its potential water ice deposits, holds particular significance for future human exploration efforts.
Other companies, such as Austin-based ICON, are also pioneering in-situ resource utilization technologies. ICON’s $57.2 million NASA contract to 3D print large-scale habitats on the Moon using lunar regolith underscores the growing importance of resource mining and utilization in space exploration endeavors.
Interlune’s emergence marks a significant milestone in the quest for sustainable space exploration and resource utilization. With its innovative approach to in-space mining and its stellar team of industry veterans, Interlune is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of space exploration and expanding humanity’s presence beyond Earth. As the company continues to unveil its projects and initiatives, it promises to push the boundaries of possibility and redefine the possibilities of space exploration in the years to come.