Interlune Corporation — Lunar He-3 Extraction (CRUMBLE)¶
FO Project: 158666 CRUMBLE — Comminution of Regolith Using Milling for Beneficiation of Lunar Extract
TRL: 4 → 6 (target)
Period: 2024-04-01 – 2026-05-31
Views: 3,556 (highest among all active FO projects)
Outcome category: Pre-commercial pipeline — federal R&D + historic commercial agreements
Federal $ tracked: $8.3M
Confidence: confirmed (federal contracts), confirmed (commercial deals public), speculative (FO causal link)
What CRUMBLE Tests¶
CRUMBLE investigates ball-and-rock milling of lunar regolith simulants in microgravity to characterize how particle-size reduction behaves under low-g. Lunar regolith has variable particle sizes that limit its applicability across ISRU domains (life support, propulsion, construction, 3D printing). The FO parabolic flight component validates milling behavior before committing to flight hardware.
PI: Gary Lai
Co-Is: Margarita Marinova (Mars terraforming researcher), Kathryn Waychoff, Drew Hoffman, Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17 astronaut + geologist — only human to walk on the Moon who was a professional geologist)
Primary TX: TX07.1.2 — Resource Acquisition, Isolation, and Preparation
Schmitt's presence as co-I is a strong signal: he is the most qualified living person to advise on lunar regolith characteristics. His involvement suggests Interlune is doing this seriously, not theoretically.
Company Background¶
Interlune Corporation is a Seattle-based lunar resource startup founded by Rob Meyerson (former President of Blue Origin) and other ex-Blue Origin leaders. Founded ~2022–2023, emerged from stealth in February 2024.
Mission: Extract helium-3 from lunar regolith and return it to Earth for sale to quantum computing, cryogenics, and defense/energy customers.
He-3 context: The Moon's surface contains an estimated 1.1 million metric tons of He-3 implanted by solar wind over billions of years. Earth has almost none (U.S. inventory ~30 liters/year from tritium decay). He-3 is critical for dilution refrigerators used in quantum computing and for neutron detection. Current price: ~$1,400/liter.
Federal Contracts¶
| Award | Agency | Amount | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80NSSC26C0002 | NASA | $6.89M | SBIR Phase III — PROSPECT MOON: Lunar Resource Tech Demo and Prospecting Mission (Mar 2026 – Sep 2027) |
| FA864925P0440 | USAF | $1.25M | He-3 defense supply chain resiliency for critical materials (Aug 2025 – Mar 2027) |
| 80NSSC26C0029 | NASA | $150K | STTR Phase I — Scalable Implement for Lunar Trenching (Jan 2026) |
| Total | $8.29M |
The USAF He-3 contract is significant: DoD has recognized lunar He-3 as a critical material for national security supply chains. Neutron detectors for nuclear security and treaty verification use He-3.
Commercial Agreements (as of Apr 2026)¶
| Customer | Deal | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Bluefors (Finland, cryogenic systems manufacturer) | 10,000 liters He-3/year, 2028–2037 | $300M+ |
| Maybell Quantum | Thousands of liters, 2029–2035 | — (undisclosed) |
| U.S. Department of Energy Isotope Program | Purchase agreement — first-ever government lunar resource purchase | 3 liters, delivery ≤Apr 2029 |
The DOE purchase agreement is historic: first U.S. government commitment to purchase a resource extracted from the Moon. Delivery date April 2029 sets a hard deadline for Interlune's first lunar mission.
$300M+ Bluefors agreement: Bluefors is the world's leading dilution refrigerator manufacturer. Quantum computing data centers (IBM, Google, Microsoft, etc.) all use their systems. He-3 is the working fluid — this is a real industrial customer at scale.
Mission Timeline¶
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Prospecting mission — Astrolab rover carries Interlune multispectral camera | Summer 2026 |
| Lunar demonstration mission (full harvest process test) | 2027 |
| Pilot plant on Moon | 2029 |
| First He-3 delivery to DOE | ≤Apr 2029 |
| Bluefors supply ramp-up | 2028–2037 |
The CRUMBLE FO project (Apr 2024 – May 2026) is directly on this timeline — regolith milling is a precursor to He-3 extraction (the regolith must be processed to release implanted He-3 gas, requiring heating and comminution).
Equity Funding¶
- $18M Series A (approximate, late 2025)
- $5M SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity, Jan 2026) — 6 investors, $500K initial tranche
- Total: ~$23M equity (pre-revenue)
FO Causal Link Assessment¶
Is FO causally primary for Interlune? Moderate. Interlune's commercial success depends primarily on their lunar missions, not on the parabolic flight results. However, CRUMBLE validates a key process step (regolith milling behavior in low-g) that feeds the 2027 demonstration mission design. FO is one brick in a large building — not the whole structure.
Archetype: Pre-Commercial Pipeline (similar to CisLunar Industries, Space Foundry — early-stage, strong downstream ambition but not yet revenue-generating from the specific technology)
Time Dimension¶
- FO CRUMBLE flight: 2024–2026
- First lunar commercial outcome: ≥2028 (Bluefors supply)
- Gap: ~4 years from FO to first commercial delivery
Cross-References¶
- Related org: CisLunar Industries — similar ISRU/lunar resource archetype, two FO projects
- Related program: TX07.1 — Resource Acquisition (multiple FO projects in this space)
- Harrison Schmitt connection: Apollo science legacy feeding commercial lunar resources
Investigated: Session 15 (2026-04-06); refreshed Session 37 (2026-04-07)
Sources: TechPort [158666], USASpending, Geekwire, Interlune press releases, TechCrunch, National Today, Cosmic Log