SpaceMiningData
CompanyUnited StatesActive

Cislune

Los Angeles-area start-up (Rosemead, California, in NASA award records) that develops excavation, site-preparation and regolith-processing hardware for the Moon. NASA has funded it through SBIR and STTR awards since 2021, including a 2024 Phase II for excavating icy regolith while limiting water loss and a 2025 Phase II for regolith site preparation, and named it a finalist in the Break the Ice Lunar Challenge in December 2023. Its reported work is Earth-based; none of the sources reviewed describes Cislune hardware flying to the Moon.

Targeted

An organization's level is recorded separately and is not a ranking of its linked missions' results. How the ladder works.

Resources and evidence

Each resource shows the highest step primary sources support. How the ladder works.

ResourceEvidenceMeaning
Water iceTargetedwork aimed at it
VolatilesTargetedwork aimed at it
RegolithTargetedwork aimed at it
OxygenClaimedsays it will

Demonstrated

Earth-based work only. NASA named Cislune Excavators a Phase 2: Level 2 runner-up ($75,000) and one of six finalists in its Break the Ice Lunar Challenge (announced 2023-12-06). Company-stated: its excavation system excavated and transported more than 3,280 kg of material during a 15-day Mojave Desert field campaign (year not stated on the company page); its PERDEX excavation hardware went through thermal-vacuum testing; and its CRAFTER waste-recycling entry received NASA's LunaRecycle Highest Mass Efficiency Prize (company post dated 2026-09-03). No NASA-published confirmation of the test results or the LunaRecycle prize was retrieved, and none of the sources reviewed describes Cislune flight hardware.

Claimed or planned

Cislune says it develops hardware, software and field operations for lunar surface infrastructure, and that it has been awarded 16 NASA contracts and earned 9 NASA competition awards since 2021. NASA award records describe its work: SBIR Phase II 80NSSC24CA112 ($899,616, 2024-07-30 to 2026-07-29), whose abstract states the technology will enable efficient collection of water ice from icy regolith; STTR Phase II 80NSSC25CA024 ($849,951, with the University of Central Florida, 2025-02-25 to 2027-02-24) on Geotechnical Regolith Advanced Site Preparation (GRASP); and SBIR Phase I 80NSSC24PB289 ($156,406, 2024) on CISORT, a sorting technology for oxygen and regolith treatment. Amounts and dates are from SBIR.gov award records read on 2026-10-28.

Facts

Headquarters
United States
Type
Company
Status
Activeas of 2026-09-03. Recent dated activity: a company post dated 3 September 2026 announcing a NASA LunaRecycle prize, and an SBIR.gov record of NASA STTR Phase II contract 80NSSC25CA024 with a period of performance running to 24 February 2027. Not a corporate-register check.
Roles
Extraction, Processing / ISRU
Targets
Moon
Also known as
Cislune Inc; Cislune Excavators
Website
www.cislune.com

Open evidence gaps

  • Founding year is not stated in any source retrieved (SBIR.gov award pages and the company site were checked).
  • The company's award list includes a 2025 CISORT Phase II SBIR and a 2026 CITA/TRUST Phase II STTR that do not appear among the 13 SBIR.gov records for CISLUNE INC as of 2026-10-28; not confirmed from a NASA source.
  • NASA's 2023-12-06 release names Cislune Excavators a Phase 2: Level 2 runner-up ($75,000 each) and one of six finalists; Cislune's placement in the final round (scheduled for spring 2024) and any final-round prize were not found in a NASA source.
  • The LunaRecycle Highest Mass Efficiency Prize is stated by Cislune; NASA's own LunaRecycle results announcement was not retrieved.
  • A 2026 seed round reported by the Caplight aggregator is unverified; an SEC EDGAR company search for 'Cislune' on 2026-10-28 returned no matching companies.
  • Headquarters city differs by record: NASA's 2023 finalist list says Los Angeles, CA; SBIR.gov award records give Rosemead, CA (earlier NASA semifinal coverage reportedly said Alhambra, CA).

Sources

11 excerpts from 8 publications

One web address counts as one publication.

  1. [1]Minimizing volatile sublimation during excavation (SBIR.gov award record)
    U.S. Small Business Administration (SBIR.gov)Government recordAccessed 2026-10-28Supports: summary, resources, role, resource activity
    The technology will enable the efficient collection of water ice from icy regolith.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  2. [2]Geotechnical Regolith Advanced Site Preparation (GRASP) (SBIR.gov award record)
    U.S. Small Business Administration (SBIR.gov)Government recordAccessed 2026-10-28Supports: summary, status, status explanation, resource activity
    Geotechnical Regolith Advanced Site Preparation (GRASP)
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  3. [3]Compact Integrated Sorting Technology for Oxygen and Regolith Treatment (CISORT) (SBIR.gov award record)
    U.S. Small Business Administration (SBIR.gov)Government recordAccessed 2026-10-28Supports: resources, role, resource activity
    Compact Integrated Sorting Technology for Oxygen and Regolith Treatment (CISORT)
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  4. [4]Six Finalists Named in NASA’s $3.5 Million Break the Ice Challenge
    NASAGovernment recordPublished 2023-12-06Accessed 2026-10-28Supports: aliases, headquarters country, summary, resource activity
    Cislune Excavators (Los Angeles, CA)
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  5. [5]Cislune - Lunar surface infrastructure
    CisluneCompany statementAccessed 2026-10-28Supports: summary, website, resource activity
    Cislune develops hardware, software, and field operations for lunar surface infrastructure.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  6. [6]Cislune - Lunar surface infrastructure
    CisluneCompany statementAccessed 2026-10-28Supports: resources, resource activity
    Recovering lunar ice starts with collecting icy soil while limiting the water lost along the way.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  7. [7]Cislune - Lunar surface infrastructure
    CisluneCompany statementAccessed 2026-10-28Supports: resource activity
    the system excavated and transported more than 3,280 kg of material.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  8. [8]Cislune - Lunar surface infrastructure
    CisluneCompany statementAccessed 2026-10-28Supports: resource activity
    Excavation hardware put through thermal-vacuum testing.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  9. [9]PERDEX: Tested Hardware for Volatile-Aware Excavation - Cislune
    CisluneCompany statementAccessed 2026-10-28Supports: resources, resource activity
    PERDEX work treated excavation and volatile preservation as one connected problem.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  10. [10]Programs and Awards - Cislune
    CisluneCompany statementAccessed 2026-10-28Supports: resource activity
    Cislune has been awarded 16 NASA contracts and earned 9 NASA competition awards since 2021
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  11. [11]Cislune wins NASA LunaRecycle Highest Mass Efficiency Prize
    CisluneCompany statementPublished 2026-09-03Accessed 2026-10-28Supports: status, status date, status explanation, resource activity
    Cislune wins NASA LunaRecycle Highest Mass Efficiency Prize
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.

Cite this record

SpaceMiningData, “Cislune”, dataset version a00fa2c68a45, built 2026-11-11, https://spaceminingdata.com/organizations/cislune.html. Record checked 2026-10-28.