Interlune

Anton Kratiuk / gagadget.com Sep 16

Interlune raises $5M as it holds nearly $500M in government and industry purchase orders for lunar helium-3; extraction not expected until 2030

Seattle startup Interlune raised an additional $5 million to pursue lunar helium-3 mining, while holding nearly $500 million in purchase orders from the US Air Force, DOE, and quantum computing firms; the company says first extraction won't occur before 2030.

Alan Boyle / GeekWire Sep 16

Interlune raises $5M SAFE to fund lunar infrastructure and helium-3 mining ahead of priced round

Seattle-based Interlune raised $5 million via a SAFE to fund development of lunar infrastructure and mining technologies, marking a second $5M SAFE after an earlier round this year. The startup, founded in 2020 and led by CEO Rob Meyerson, is expanding from helium-3 extraction into space infrastructure and survival services and has partnerships such as an expanded deal with Vermeer for lunar construction tools.

BigGo Finance / BigGo Finance Aug 27

Interlune replicates 15,000 years of solar wind in four hours to create helium-bearing lunar soil simulant

Interlune, a Seattle space-resources startup, synthesized gas-bearing lunar soil on Earth by bombarding ilmenite with accelerated helium plasma, replicating 15,000 years of solar wind exposure in a four-hour process. The lab-made simulant traps helium with release temperatures matching Apollo samples and will be used to test Interlune's lower-power Harvesting System and offered to other organizations.

Alan Boyle / geekwire.com Jul 22

Interlune demonstrates Cold Capture to extract 99% pure helium-3 from industrial helium, aims to scale for lunar mining

Seattle startup Interlune says it produced 99% pure helium-3 from industrial-grade helium using a cryogenic distillation process called Cold Capture, a technique it plans to scale for lunar extraction. The company argues helium-3’s rarity and suitability for quantum computing, detectors and future fusion makes lunar-sourced supply potentially profitable, and demonstrated the process at small scale in early 2025.

Mrigakshi Dixit / Interesting Engineering Jul 21

Interlune unveils Cold Capture to extract 99% pure helium-3 from Grade A helium, backed by U.S. Air Force

Seattle startup Interlune unveiled 'Cold Capture,' a cryogenic system that extracts 99% pure helium-3 from standard Grade A helium to address terrestrial shortages and validate lunar-harvesting tech, developed with U.S. Air Force support.

Alan Boyle / GeekWire Feb 4

Interlune Develops Lunar Excavator for Helium-3 Extraction and Moon Construction Under $150,000 NASA Contract

Interlune is using a $150,000 NASA contract to develop a lunar excavator, called SILT, aimed at extracting helium-3 and supporting moon construction projects. The technology could aid NASA’s Artemis program by enabling lunar trenching, road building, and habitat infrastructure preparation.

Alan Boyle / GeekWire Jan 29

Interlune Raises $5 Million SAFE to Advance Lunar Helium-3 Mining with Leadership from Former Blue Origin and Apollo 17 Astronaut

Interlune is raising $5 million through a SAFE offering to fund its lunar resource extraction plans, including harvesting helium-3. The Seattle-based startup, founded in 2020 by former Blue Origin leaders and Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, aims to advance technical milestones before its next funding round.

Alan Boyle / GeekWire May 7, 2025

Interlune Partners with Vermeer and US DOE to Develop Moon Excavator and Supply Lunar Helium-3 by 2029

Interlune announced partnerships for moon mining equipment development and plans to supply lunar helium-3 by 2029, aiming to commercialize helium-3 extraction from the moon. The startup revealed a prototype excavator built with Vermeer Corp. and agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy and Maybell Quantum Industries for helium-3 supply.

Alan Boyle / GeekWire Apr 18, 2025

Interlune Awarded $4.84M Texas Grant to Build Lunar Regolith Center at NASA Johnson Space Center

Seattle-based Interlune received a $4.84 million grant from the Texas Space Commission to establish a lunar regolith simulant center at NASA's Johnson Space Center, part of the Texas A&M University Space Institute. The company aims to develop technology to harvest moon soil for resources like helium-3, with support from prominent former NASA and Blue Origin leaders.

Alan Boyle / GeekWire Jul 16, 2024

NASA Awards $348,000 Grant to Seattle's Interlune to Test Lunar Soil-Processing Tech on Reduced-Gravity Flights

Interlune received a $348,000 NASA grant to test its CRUMBLE lunar soil-processing system during reduced-gravity flights aimed at harvesting moon resources such as helium-3. The Seattle-based company plans to complete these tests by year-end as part of NASA’s TechFlights program supporting space technology development.

Alan Boyle / GeekWire Mar 13, 2024

Interlune Plans Robotic Helium-3 Harvesting on Moon with $18M Seed Funding, Aiming for 2026 Prospecting Mission

Seattle-based startup Interlune revealed plans to build a robotic harvester to extract helium-3 from the moon, aiming for a prospecting mission by 2026 and commercial operations in the 2030s. The company raised $18 million in seed funding led by Seven Seven Six, with the goal of enabling advanced technologies like quantum computing and fusion power.

Alan Boyle / GeekWire Feb 8, 2024

Interlune, Co-Founded by Former Blue Origin President Rob Meyerson, Raises $17.7M to Harvest Moon Resources

Interlune, a startup co-founded by former Blue Origin president Rob Meyerson, is raising $17.7 million to develop technology for harvesting lunar resources to use on Earth. The company, founded in 2020, has received $15.6 million from 18 investors and a $246,000 NSF grant for moon dirt sorting research.