NASA Awards $6.9 Million Contract for First-Ever In-Situ Lunar Volatile Gas Measurements
Interlune to Fly Resource Extraction Payload on Commercial Lunar Lander in 2028
A $6.9 million NASA contract will fund the first attempt to measure volatile gases by heating lunar soil directly on the Moon’s surface — a milestone that could unlock the commercial potential of helium-3 and other lunar resources.
“For the first time ever, we will measure volatile gases by heating lunar regolith while on the Moon, dramatically advancing the scientific community’s understanding of its properties.”
Dr. Elizabeth Frank, Interlune
NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) Game Changing Development (GCD) program awarded the sole-source, firm-fixed-price contract to Interlune, a Seattle-based lunar resources company, under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III agreement. The 18-month contract calls for Interlune to develop a payload suite capable of capturing on-site measurements of gases in lunar regolith and demonstrating resource extraction technologies, including helium-3 and hydrogen.
“For the first time ever, we will measure volatile gases by heating lunar regolith while on the Moon, dramatically advancing the scientific community’s understanding of its properties,” said Interlune Chief Scientist Dr. Elizabeth Frank. “The data we collect will also tell us how much power is needed to extract resources like helium-3.”
The payload, targeted for a 2028 launch, is designed to fly aboard one of the commercial robotic landers developed under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Interlune built and tested payload prototypes on parabolic aircraft flights simulating lunar gravity through prior work with NASA’s Flight Opportunities program and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Under the contract, Interlune will design, build, and test engineering development units and flight hardware. The payload system includes a robotic arm and scoop, a size-sorting device, mechanisms to extract solar wind gases via mechanical and thermal processes, a multispectral camera to estimate helium-3 concentrations, and a mass spectrometer based on NASA’s Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) instrument.
“We’re gathering data and advancing technologies that serve multiple purposes across industry and government,” said Rob Meyerson, co-founder and CEO of Interlune. “NASA’s continued investment in space technology enables technology development projects like this one to ensure America’s leadership in building the lunar economy.”
Helium-3 is a rare isotope on Earth but is believed to be abundant in the lunar regolith, deposited over billions of years by the solar wind. It has attracted significant commercial interest as a potential fuel for fusion energy and as a critical coolant in quantum computing systems. Interlune currently holds nearly $500 million in binding purchase orders for helium-3, including agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy and multiple quantum computing companies.
The company’s broader roadmap envisions revenue from helium-3 sales funding the development of technologies to harvest additional lunar resources — including industrial metals, rare earth elements, and water — to support a sustained human presence on the Moon. Interlune has raised $18 million to date and has secured funding and contracts from NASA, the NSF, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Texas Space Commission, and several commercial customers.