SpaceMiningData
CompanyUnited StatesActive

Lunar Resources, Inc.

Houston, Texas industrial technology company (SBIR awards since 2019) developing molten regolith electrolysis reactors to extract oxygen and metals from lunar regolith, alongside pulsed-power products for terrestrial and defense markets. Its oxygen and metal extraction has been demonstrated only on regolith simulant on Earth, including a 2024-2025 test with NASA Kennedy.

Claimed

Resources and evidence

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

ResourceEvidenceMeaning
OxygenClaimedsays it will
Metals (general)Claimedsays it will
RegolithClaimedsays it will

Demonstrated

Ground tests only: with NASA Kennedy Swamp Works, the company's LR-1 reactor melted about 25 kg of lunar regolith simulant in a vacuum chamber and produced molecular oxygen and metals (NASA, May 2025). NASA SBIR Phase I (2024) and Phase II (2025) awards fund a long-life molten regolith electrolysis anode (IMMORTAL). No flight hardware.

Claimed or planned

The company states its reactor extracts oxygen, aluminum and silicon from lunar soil and that it is developing processes to turn regolith-derived metals into components and infrastructure off Earth.

Facts

Headquarters
United States
Type
Company
Status
Activeas of 2025-05-05. NASA Kennedy article (2025-05-05) on joint LR-1 molten regolith electrolysis testing; SBIR.gov lists 2025 Phase II awards including NASA's IMMORTAL anode project; company site current (copyright 2026).
Roles
Processing / ISRU
Targets
Moon, Mars
Also known as
LUNAR; Lunar Resources
Website
www.lunarresources.space

Dated events

Amounts are shown one at a time as each source states them. They are never added together.

  1. 2025-05-05

    NASA reports oxygen from lunar regolith simulant using Lunar Resources' LR-1 reactor

    OtherLunar Resources, Inc.With National Aeronautics and Space Administration

    NASA Kennedy reported that its researchers and Lunar Resources ran molten regolith electrolysis in a vacuum chamber with the company's LR-1 reactor, producing and collecting molecular oxygen from about 25 kg of lunar regolith simulant while separating the oxygen from metals in the simulant. This was a ground test on simulant, not lunar material.

    Sources (1) and evidence gaps
    1. [1]NASA Kennedy Breathes Life into Moon Soil Testing
      NASAGovernment recordPublished 2025-05-05Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: summary
      The extraction reactor heated about 55 pounds (25 kilograms) of simulated regolith up to a temperature of 3100
      Quote matched the source text when accessed.
    • Exact test dates beyond the 5 Dec 2024 photo caption not published.
  2. 2025

    NASA SBIR Phase II award to Lunar Resources for IMMORTAL molten regolith electrolysis anode

    Government awardLunar Resources, Inc.With National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationUSD 849,999 (official award record)

    SBIR.gov lists a 2025 NASA SBIR Phase II award of USD 849,999 to Lunar Resources for IMMORTAL, a long-life molten regolith electrolysis anode project for oxygen and metal production.

    Sources (1) and evidence gaps
    1. [1]LUNAR RESOURCES, INC. - Company Portfolio Data
      U.S. Small Business Administration (SBIR.gov)Government recordAccessed 2026-09-25Supports: amount
      Immortal Molten Regolith Electrolysis Anode for Oxygen and Metals Extraction from Lunar Regolith (IMMORTAL) Amount: $849,999 Topic: Z12
      Quote matched the source text when accessed.
    • Award date within 2025 not shown on the portfolio page.
  3. 2024

    NASA SBIR Phase I award to Lunar Resources for IMMORTAL molten regolith electrolysis anode

    Government awardLunar Resources, Inc.With National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationUSD 149,999 (official award record)

    NASA awarded Lunar Resources a USD 149,999 SBIR Phase I contract for a long-life anode for molten regolith electrolysis to extract oxygen and metals from lunar regolith.

    Sources (1) and evidence gaps
    1. [1]LUNAR RESOURCES, INC. - Company Portfolio Data
      U.S. Small Business Administration (SBIR.gov)Government recordAccessed 2026-09-25Supports: amount
      (IMMORTAL) Amount: $149,999 Topic: Z12
      Quote matched the source text when accessed.
    • Award date within 2024 not shown on the portfolio page.

Open evidence gaps

  • Founding year not found in a primary source (first SBIR award 2019; aggregators say 2019).
  • Private equity funding not disclosed; SBIR.gov reports USD 15,404,872 in SBIR/STTR awards across agencies, much of it for defense pulsed-power work rather than lunar ISRU.
  • No flight manifest or lunar demonstration mission announced.

Sources

6 sources
  1. [1]NASA Kennedy Breathes Life into Moon Soil Testing
    NASAGovernment recordPublished 2025-05-05Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: headquarters country, status, role
    NASA Kennedy researchers in the Exploration Research and Technology programs teamed up with Lunar Resources Inc. (LUNAR), a space industrial company in Houston, Texas, to perform molten regolith electrolysis.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  2. [2]NASA Kennedy Breathes Life into Moon Soil Testing
    NASAGovernment recordPublished 2025-05-05Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: resource activity demonstrated
    During the recent vacuum chamber testing, molecular oxygen was measured in its pure form along with the production of metals from a batch of dust and rock that simulates lunar soil
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  3. [3]LUNAR RESOURCES, INC. - Company Portfolio Data
    U.S. Small Business Administration (SBIR.gov)Government recordAccessed 2026-09-25Supports: status, summary
    Year of first award: 2019 16 Phase I Awards 11 Phase II Awards
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  4. [4]Resource Extraction - Lunar Resources
    Lunar Resources, Inc.Company statementAccessed 2026-09-25Supports: resources, resource activity claimed
    The helix-driver-powered reactor extracts essential elements-Oxygen, Aluminum, and Silicon-from lunar soil.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  5. [5]About Us - Lunar Resources
    Lunar Resources, Inc.Company statementAccessed 2026-09-25Supports: summary
    Originally spun out from several NASA-sponsored technology development programs
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  6. [6]Lunar Resources (home page)
    Lunar Resources, Inc.Company statementAccessed 2026-09-25Supports: summary
    Lunar Resources, INC. is an American industrial technology company focused on developing new industrial processes to advance the industrial, aerospace and energy sectors through implementation of pulsed power technologies.
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.