Puli Space Technologies
Budapest space technology company, founded in 2010 and formerly a Google Lunar XPRIZE team, that develops a lightweight rover platform and the Puli Lunar Water Snooper (PLWS) neutron spectrometer, which it says is meant to explore lunar water resources and support in-situ resource utilisation. PLWS flew on Intuitive Machines' IM-2 mission in 2025, and Puli says it returned data from the lunar surface. ESA agreed in January 2025 to buy PLWS data, which Puli describes as ESA's first exploration data-buy agreement. No PLWS results had been published as of October 2026.
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.
| Resource | Evidence | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Water ice | Targeted | work aimed at it |
Demonstrated
Puli's PLWS neutron spectrometer flew on Intuitive Machines' IM-2, launched 2025-02-26 (see Puli Lunar Water Snooper (PLWS) on IM-2). The Athena lander touched down on 2025-03-06 and came to rest on its side, and the mission ended the next day. Puli states that PLWS returned data from the lunar surface; a press report of a Puli statement gives about 38 minutes of operation. No measurement results have been published, so no resource detection is established. NASA JPL's 2020 Honey, I Shrunk the NASA Payload challenge listed PLWS as first-prize winner in its Lunar Resource Potential category.
Claimed or planned
Puli says its neutron spectrometer is meant to explore lunar water resources and support in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU), and that under ESA's data-buy agreement (announced 2025-01-15) the PLWS data will be analysed with ESA and made public later. Puli also states that NASA funded PLWS development with USD 225,000 in 2021. In July 2026 it signed an exploratory MOU with Mission Space on joint lunar surface missions using its rover platform; no lander or date is named.
Facts
- Headquarters
- Hungary
- Type
- Company
- Founded
- 2010
- Status
- Activeas of 2026-07-22. Recent dated activity: a joint Mission Space and Puli Space release distributed by PR Newswire on 2026-07-22 announces an MOU to explore joint lunar surface missions. This is not a corporate-register check; the Hungarian registry number shown in the company's site footer was not checked against the official register.
- Roles
- Prospecting, Instrument / drill, Rover / mobility
- Targets
- Moon
- Also known as
- Puli Space; Puli Space Technologies Ltd.; Puli Space Technologies Kft.; Team Puli
- Website
- pulispace.com
Missions
1 records| Mission | Role | Launch or landing | Phase | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puli Lunar Water Snooper (PLWS) on IM-2Instrument | Payload owner, Payload builder | 2025-02-26 | Ended | Unknown |
Open evidence gaps
- Legal identity was not checked against the official Hungarian company register (e-cegjegyzek); the Kft. form and registry number Cg. 01-09-943355 come only from the company's own site footer.
- ESA's own announcement of the data-buy agreement (esa.int) returned HTTP 403 to WebFetch; the agreement value is not published in the sources reviewed.
- No published PLWS measurement results were found.
- NASA development funding of USD 225,000 (2021) is company-stated; no NASA contract record was found.
- No booked future flight for PLWS or Puli's rover was found; the July 2026 Mission Space MOU is exploratory.
Sources
16 excerpts from 8 publicationsOne web address counts as one publication.
Puli Space Technologies Ltd. is a space technology company based in Budapest, Hungary.
It was founded in 2010 with the aim to become part of the fast growing private lunar industry.
Puli Space Technologies develops a low cost, lightweight, planetary rover platform with unique mobility capabilities
as well as a neutron spectrometer instrument to explore lunar water resources
and support In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) activities, while able to survive the harsh environment on the Moon.
Team Puli had been an official contestant of the Google Lunar XPRIZE (GLXP) challenge since 2010.
The European Space Agency and Puli Space have made history by signing the first-ever exploration data buy agreement
NASA has funded the payload development with $225,000 USD in 2021.
ESA will work closely with Puli Space to analyze and standardize the measurement data, which will become public later.
developing lightweight rover platforms and lunar payload systems, today announced a Memorandum of Understanding
On Intuitive Machines' IM-2 mission to the lunar South Pole region in March 2025, PLWS became the first Hungarian instrument to land on the Moon and return data from the lunar surface.
Planned to land at Mons Mouton, IM-2 touched down at approximately 11:30 a.m. March 6, more than 1,300 feet (400 meters) from its intended landing site.
Images downlinked from Athena on the lunar surface confirmed that Athena was on her side.
Puli Lunar Water Snooper by Puli Space Technologies Team
PLWS was operational for 38 minutes in temperatures around -55 degrees Celsius, Puli Space Technologies said.
Puli Space Technologies Kft.
Cite this record
SpaceMiningData, “Puli Space Technologies”, dataset version a00fa2c68a45, built 2026-11-11, https://spaceminingdata.com/organizations/puli-space-technologies.html. Record checked 2026-10-28.