As NASA pushes deeper into the Artemis era, the agency is ramping up efforts to solve one of space exploration’s biggest logistical challenges: how to survive on the Moon without constantly resupplying from Earth.

The answer may lie beneath the lunar surface itself.

NASA and private industry are now developing advanced systems capable of extracting valuable resources from lunar soil, also known as regolith. Those materials could one day help astronauts generate energy, create fuel, sustain life support systems, and power long-term operations on the Moon and eventually Mars.

At the center of the latest push is Seattle-based company Interlune, which has secured a $6.9 million NASA contract aimed at advancing lunar resource prospecting technologies.

NASA Pushes Lunar Resource Extraction Forward

The funding comes through NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program, better known as SBIR, which helps transition emerging technologies into real-world missions and commercial applications.

Under the year-and-a-half agreement, Interlune will focus on validating specialized tools designed to identify and process lunar resources directly on the Moon’s surface. The broader goal is to reduce dependence on costly Earth-based supply chains during future missions.

NASA’s long-term strategy centers around in-situ resource utilization, commonly referred to as ISRU. The concept allows astronauts to use locally available materials instead of transporting everything from Earth.

That could include extracting water ice, minerals, hydrogen, and helium-3 from lunar soil.

Lunar Soil Could Hold Valuable Resources

Interlune’s planned payload system is designed to do far more than simply collect moon dust.

According to NASA, the hardware will gather lunar regolith samples, separate particles by size, extract volatile gases created by solar wind exposure, and measure the quantity of those gases.

The company’s design also incorporates a mass spectrometer modeled after NASA’s Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations technology, known as MSOLO.

Developed at NASA Kennedy Space Center, MSOLO was built specifically to analyze gases and chemical compounds in lunar environments. The compact instrument already proved itself during the Intuitive Machines 2 mission to the Moon’s south pole in 2025.

That earlier success laid the groundwork for NASA’s latest commercial collaboration.

NASA Technology Moves Into Commercial Hands

NASA officials described the partnership as an example of how government-backed innovation can transition into private-sector development.

“A major goal of NASA is to mature transformative technologies so they can be confidently adopted by industry,” said Michael Johansen, Deputy Program Manager for NASA’s Game Changing Development Program. “The evolution of MSOLO into a robust, flight-ready instrument is a perfect example of that success. We are thrilled to see this proven technology leveraged by an industry effort, marking a significant step forward in commercial resource prospecting.”

The MSOLO system was originally developed through NASA’s Game Changing Development program and includes onboard processing capabilities along with a calibration gas system that can verify measurement accuracy directly on the lunar surface.

Meanwhile, NASA says the software has already been adapted for compatibility with four separate Commercial Lunar Payload Services lander designs, highlighting the technology’s growing versatility in future missions.

Artemis Missions Depend On Sustainable Technology

The timing of the announcement aligns closely with NASA’s broader Artemis ambitions.

The agency continues building systems that could support a sustained human presence on the Moon, something impossible without reducing mission costs and increasing local resource independence.

NASA believes lunar resource prospecting technology could dramatically cut the amount of material astronauts need shipped from Earth. That, in turn, could make future Moon bases and eventual Mars missions far more practical.

The agency also pointed to commercial partnerships as a critical part of that future.

Investments in lunar surface technology, NASA said, represent a major step toward sustainable exploration while helping mature systems capable of turning lunar materials into usable assets for deep-space missions.

Small Businesses Play Expanding Role In NASA Strategy

NASA’s SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer program continues serving as a major pipeline for innovation across the aerospace sector.

Managed by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, the initiative supports startups and companies with fewer than 500 employees by providing funding and technical support to help commercialize advanced technologies.

This year, the agency is also shifting its SBIR/STTR program toward a Broad Agency Announcement framework, an approach NASA says will create greater flexibility and expand opportunities for small businesses.

The agency noted that the 2026-2027 BAA appendices outlining future technology proposal topics will close May 21.

Interested companies and institutions are encouraged to review NASA’s application resources before submitting proposals.