METAL multispectral camera (Interlune / NASA Ames) on Griffin-1
Multispectral camera that Interlune says it built with NASA Ames to image lunar regolith and estimate helium-3 from titanium and regolith-maturity proxies. NASA lists it as the METAL investigation on the Griffin-1 lander; Interlune says it rides on Astrolab's FLIP rover. Launch is planned for late 2026.
Objective. Image lunar regolith to map titanium (ilmenite) content and regolith maturity, which Interlune and NASA use as proxies to estimate helium-3 abundance.
Facts
- Kind
- Instrument
- Mission type
- Prospecting
- Target
- MoonNobile Crater region, lunar South Pole (Griffin-1 landing site per NASA)
- Launch
- Planned 2026 H2 (target)Announcement date not recorded. Record checked 2026-09-25.
- Phase
- ManifestedManifested: the 2025-08-05 joint Interlune/Astrolab release names the payload for Astrolab's FLIP rover (Astrolab operates the host rover), and NASA's Moon Base Phases page (updated 2026-08-24) lists METAL among Griffin-1 payloads with launch planned in late 2026. Not launched as of 2026-09-25.
- Outcome
- Not applicable
- Why it is included
- Stated resource objective
Participants
Operators, payload owners, carriers and customers are recorded separately.
| Organization | Role |
|---|---|
| Interlune | Operator |
| Interlune | Payload owner |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Payload builder |
| Venturi Astrolab | Carrier |
| Astrobotic Technology | Carrier |
Resources and evidence
| Resource | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Helium-3 | Targeted |
Dated events
- 2025-08-05
Interlune payload agreement with Astrolab (FLIP rover)
Interlune and Astrolab announced that an Interlune multispectral camera for estimating helium-3 will fly on Astrolab's FLIP rover on an upcoming lunar mission, which Interlune described as its first lunar mission.
Company announcement. No counterparty or government record found.
Sources (1)
today announced that an Interlune payload will fly on Astrolab's FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform (FLIP) rover on its upcoming mission to the Moon
Open evidence gaps
- No single source states that NASA's METAL investigation and Interlune's FLIP multispectral camera are the same instrument; the match rests on identical description, partners, and host
- The mission name 'Crescent Moon' appears only in press quoting an Interlune employee
- Launch vehicle for Griffin-1 not confirmed from a primary source
Record history
changes to this record's facts, newest first
Sources
8 sourcesThe Interlune payload is a multispectral camera built, tested, and developed in partnership with NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, whose images will be used to estimate helium-3 quantities and concentration in Moon dirt, or regolith.
the Moon Exploration for Titanium with Active Lighting (METAL) investigation, developed by NASA's Ames Research Center in partnership with Interlune. METAL will study the abundance of helium-3 in the lunar regolith
The lander is being prepared for transport to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where it will undergo environmental testing ahead of its planned launch to the Moon in late 2026.
The spacecraft is completing final integration activities and is scheduled to launch in late 2026.
The team is targeting the next viable launch window, which opens in July 2026.
Our first mission, Crescent Moon, is coming up at the end of this year, 2025
The Astrobotic Griffin-1 mission will deliver more than 1,100 pounds of cargo to the Nobile Crater at the lunar South Pole, including the Astrolab FLIP rover
The company is planning to send its first payload - a mineralogical mapping instrument - to the moon later this year aboard Voyager Technologies' Griffin-1 lander