Lunar Outpost
Golden, Colorado rover developer that holds a 2020 NASA contract to collect and sell lunar regolith for $1; its MAPP rover reached the Moon on Intuitive Machines' IM-2 lander in March 2025 but was never deployed because the lander came to rest on its side, so no regolith was collected. Lunar Outpost states it will perform the first commercial sale of space resources; that sale has not occurred.
Resources and evidence
Each resource shows the highest step primary sources support. How the ladder works.
| Resource | Evidence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Regolith | Targeted | mission aimed at it |
| Water ice | Targeted | mission aimed at it |
Demonstrated
Flew the MAPP rover (Lunar Voyage 1) on IM-2 (launched 2025-02-26); the rover carried a regolith collection mechanism for the NASA space-resources contract and a neutron spectrometer for water-signature prospecting, but the lander tipped and MAPP was never deployed, so no regolith was collected and no surface prospecting occurred. Received a $0.10 NASA payment in 2021 for completing the contract's concept review (not payment for delivered regolith). Provides the rover mobility element for the NASA LuSTR ASPECT project (autonomous site preparation: moving regolith, grading, compaction).
Claimed or planned
Company materials describe Lunar Voyage 1 as 'the first collection and sale of off-world resources in human history' and its CEO said a company 'will extract and sell resources'; the company describes its Pegasus LTV as supporting 'resource prospecting'; its boilerplate claims a role in 'making oxygen on Mars'. It states MAPP will return to the Moon (Artemis IV DUSTER dust investigation, not a resource payload).
Facts
- Headquarters
- United States
- Type
- Company
- Status
- Activeas of 2026-05-26. Company release of a $30M Series B on 2026-05-07 and NASA's 2026-05-26 release awarding Lunar Outpost $220 million for Phase 1 Lunar Terrain Vehicle work.
- Roles
- Rover / mobility, Prospecting
- Targets
- Moon
- Also known as
- Lunar Outpost Inc
- Website
- www.lunaroutpost.com
Missions
2 records| Mission | Role | Launch | Phase | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intuitive Machines IM-2 (Athena lander)Spacecraft | Payload owner | 2025-02-26 | Ended | Partial |
| Lunar Outpost Lunar Voyage 1 (MAPP rover on IM-2)Payload | Operator | 2025-02-26 | Ended | Failure |
Dated events
Amounts are shown one at a time as each source states them. They are never added together.
- 2026-05-26
NASA Lunar Terrain Vehicle Phase 1 task order to Lunar Outpost ($220 million)
NASA awarded Lunar Outpost $220 million under the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract to build and deliver its Pegasus rover, aiming for deployment by 2028; this is a mobility award, not a resource contract.
Sources (2)
NASA has awarded Astrolab $219 million and Lunar Outpost $220 million to build and deliver the first phase of LTVs.
today announced that NASA has selected the company as one of two providers for a High Achievability Mission task order under its Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services (LTVS) contract.
- 2026-05-07
Lunar Outpost $30 million Series B
Lunar Outpost announced a $30 million Series B led by Industrious Ventures.
Company announcement. No counterparty or government record found.
Sources (1)
today announced a $30M Series B led by Industrious Ventures, with participation from Type One Ventures , Eniac Ventures , Promus Ventures , Reliable Equity, and others.
- 2024-11
Lunar Outpost Series A (amount undisclosed)
Lunar Outpost announced a Series A round co-led by Type One Ventures and Industrious Ventures; no amount was disclosed.
Company announcement. No counterparty or government record found.
Sources (1) and evidence gaps
today announced it has raised a Series A funding round, co-led by Type One Ventures (investor in Argo Space and SpaceX ) and Industrious Ventures
- Round amount not disclosed.
- 2022-05
Lunar Outpost $12 million seed round
Lunar Outpost announced a closed $12 million seed round led by Explorer 1 Fund.
Company announcement. No counterparty or government record found.
Sources (1)
Lunar Outpost , a global leader in commercial planetary mobility, announced a $12 million seed funding round today. The closed round was led by Explorer 1 Fund with participation from Promus Ventures , Space Capital , Type 1 Ventures and Cathexis Ventures .
- 2020-12-03
NASA lunar regolith purchase contract to Lunar Outpost, $1
NASA selected Lunar Outpost to collect lunar regolith and transfer ownership in place to NASA for $1. Lunar Outpost states NASA paid $0.10 on completion of the contract's Concept Review (August 2021) and that its MAPP rover on Intuitive Machines IM-2 (Lunar Voyage 1) was to make the collection; the lander came to rest on its side on 6 March 2025 and MAPP could not be deployed, so no collection occurred.
Sources (5) and evidence gaps
NASA has selected four companies to collect space resources and transfer ownership to the agency: Lunar Outpost of Golden, Colorado; Masten Space Systems of Mojave, California; ispace Europe of Luxembourg; and ispace Japan of Tokyo.
Lunar Outpost proposed collection for $1 following arrival of a lander to the lunar South Pole in 2023.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson presented a check for $0.10 to Lunar Outpost CEO, Justin Cyrus, for the successful completion of the Concept Review for that contract.
execute the first sale of space resources with NASA through regolith collection
The Nova-C lander ended up on its side with MAPP's garage wedged upside down under the lander, preventing MAPP's deployment to the lunar surface.
- Whether the contract remains open for a later Lunar Outpost mission is not stated in any retrieved source.
- No mission record exists here for Lunar Outpost Lunar Voyage 1 / MAPP on IM-2.
Open evidence gaps
- Founding year not found on a primary page reviewed.
- Series A amount undisclosed by the company.
- Whether NASA's 2020 regolith contract with Lunar Outpost remains open for a future mission after IM-2 is not stated in any source reviewed.
- Nature of the claimed Mars-oxygen (MOXIE) role not established by a primary source.
Sources
12 sourcesLunar Outpost proposed collection for $1 following arrival of a lander to the lunar South Pole in 2023.
The Nova-C lander ended up on its side with MAPP's garage wedged upside down under the lander, preventing MAPP's deployment to the lunar surface.
Regolith Collection Mechanism for NASA Space Resources Contract
NASA administrator Bill Nelson presented a check for $0.10 to Lunar Outpost CEO, Justin Cyrus, for the successful completion of the Concept Review for that contract.
The first collection and sale of off-world resources in human history.
"For the first time, a company-not just a government-will extract and sell resources from another planetary body," Cyrus added.
today announced a $30M Series B led by Industrious Ventures, with participation from Type One Ventures , Eniac Ventures , Promus Ventures , Reliable Equity, and others.
NASA has awarded Astrolab $219 million and Lunar Outpost $220 million to build and deliver the first phase of LTVs.
Pegasus is designed to support a range of mission profiles, including site exploration, foundational science operations, resource prospecting, and surface site preparation
the ultimate goal of the ASPECT project is the autonomous creation of a safe and efficient lunar landing site
From enabling the first commercial rover on the Moon and making oxygen on Mars to driving NASA's Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services program
Lunar Outpost's MAPP rover is in development to return to the lunar surface, supporting NASA's DUSTER investigation