Interlune, a secretive startup led by former Blue Origin executives, has recently raised a significant new tranche of funding. The company, which is focused on harvesting resources from the moon, secured $15.5 million in this latest round and is aiming to close an additional $2 million. Interlune has been relatively quiet about its technological developments since its inception three years ago, making this funding news one of the few glimpses into the company’s progress and ambitions.
Rob Meyerson, who served as president at Blue Origin for 15 years, is at the helm of Interlune, bringing a wealth of aerospace experience to the venture. The company’s Chief Technology Officer, Gary Lai, also an ex-Blue Origin leader with a 20-year tenure, mentioned at a Seattle event that Interlune is working on innovative methods to extract lunar resources efficiently, cost-effectively, and responsibly. Their aim is to establish a sustainable in-space economy by utilizing the natural resources available on the moon.
Interlune’s focus is part of a growing interest in in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) within the space industry, a field that seeks to collect and transform space resources into valuable commodities for use in space missions and possibly back on Earth. This approach is seen as crucial for supporting long-term human presence on the moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program and beyond.
The company’s recent funding round is a significant milestone, indicating investor confidence in Interlune’s mission and the broader potential of lunar resource harvesting. As the space industry continues to evolve, ventures like Interlune are paving the way for new economic possibilities and the expansion of human activity in space.