DEPLOYDatabase

Robot model

Interlune Harvester

spaceresearchby Interlune

The Interlune Harvester is an autonomous robotic lunar excavation system designed to extract helium-3 from lunar regolith.

Track Interlune Harvester
Manufacturer
Interlune
Form factor
space
Maturity
research
Lifecycle
active
Website
interlune.space ↗

Overview

The Interlune Harvester is an autonomous robotic lunar excavation system designed to extract helium-3 from lunar regolith. It uses vision sensors and ground-penetrating radar to determine optimal harvesting routes, a robotic arm to excavate, centrifugal sorting to separate fine particles, and heating to release trapped volatile gases (including helium-3) from the regolith surface.

The harvester is designed to be smaller, lighter, and more energy-efficient than prior concepts. A NASA SBIR Phase III contract funds payload development for a 2028 flight demonstration, and a multispectral camera will fly on an Astrolab FLEX rover in 2026 to scout helium-3 concentrations.

Verified vs. claimed

Maturity stage
research(Lab-stage only; no commercial or public deployment reported.)
Sources on file
View all sources →

No verified deployments on file. DEPLOY tracks independently-sourced deployment evidence separately from manufacturer capability claims.

Key facts

Form factor

Autonomous lunar excavation rover

Function

Excavate, sort, heat, and separate He-3 from lunar regolith

Prospecting mission

Multispectral camera on Astrolab FLEX rover (2026)

First flight

NASA payload demonstration, 2028

Pilot plant

Lunar pilot plant planned for 2029

Data & sources

News coverage

1

Web sources

3

4 sources backing this record.View all →

Pricing

No verified price is on record for Interlune Harvester. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.

How DEPLOY tracks pricing

Recent activity

Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.

Full change history →

Safety record

No incidents on record for Interlune Harvester.

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Sources (4)

  1. https://www.geekwire.com/2026/interlune-excavator-helium-3-moon-construction/
  2. https://spacenews.com/interlune-wins-nasa-contract-for-helium-3-extraction-payload/
  3. https://www.interlune.space/blog/excavate-sort-extract-and-separate-interlune-core-intellectual-property
  4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/09/16/moon-mining-helium-quantum-computing/

Mentioned on (1)

Registry pages whose text names Interlune Harvester.

Companies (1)

Interlune

Common questions

What is Interlune Harvester?
The Interlune Harvester is an autonomous robotic lunar excavation system designed to extract helium-3 from lunar regolith. It uses vision sensors and ground-penetrating radar to determine optimal harvesting routes, a robotic arm to excavate, centrifugal sorting to separate fine particles, and heating to release trapped volatile gases (including helium-3) from the regolith surface. The harvester is designed to be smaller, lighter, and more energy-efficient than prior concepts. A NASA SBIR Phase III contract funds payload development for a 2028 flight demonstration, and a multispectral camera will fly on an Astrolab FLEX rover in 2026 to scout helium-3 concentrations.
How much does Interlune Harvester cost?
Interlune Harvester's price is not publicly disclosed. DEPLOY has no verified price on record for Interlune Harvester from Interlune. Physical-AI systems like this are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price; check the manufacturer for the latest.
Is Interlune Harvester actually deployed in the real world?
Interlune Harvester is at the research stage: it exists, but DEPLOY has no verified real-world deployment on record. Manufacturer capability claims should be read as claims pending independent verification.
Who makes Interlune Harvester?
Interlune Harvester is made by Interlune, based in Seattle, Washington, USA, founded in 2020.
Can you buy Interlune Harvester?
Interlune Harvester is at research stage and is not yet available for sale.
What are alternatives to Interlune Harvester?
On the DEPLOY registry, comparable space robots to Interlune Harvester include Chang'e Lander, Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle, ION, Mira.
How does Interlune Harvester compare to Chang'e Lander?
Interlune Harvester and Chang'e Lander (China National Space Administration · 4 deployments) are both space robots on the DEPLOY registry. Interlune Harvester has 0 verified deployments on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
Is Interlune Harvester a top space?
On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, Interlune Harvester ranks in roughly the top 64% of space models tracked by the registry.
What is Interlune Harvester's maturity stage?
Interlune Harvester is at the research stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Research stage means active development without commercial deployments on file.
Where is Interlune Harvester deployed?
No verified deployments of Interlune Harvester are currently on the DEPLOY registry. DEPLOY records deployments only when verified at a named site with a primary source; absence may reflect pre-deployment, research, or manufacturer-internal use.
Is Interlune Harvester safe?
Interlune Harvester has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
Methodology: Verified · 4 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-10-10

Verification posture

Verified

Medium confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-10-10

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: research

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: space

Sources by quality tier

3
unclassified
Unclassified source
1
secondary-established-publication
Established publication

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Interlune Harvester.

Recent coverage

Interlune Harvester in third-party press

Interlune wins $6.9M NASA contract to create system to extract helium-3 and hydrogen from moon dirt

May 4, 2026

Lunar prospectors: the businesses looking to mine the moon

Apr 2, 2026

Interlune brings in fresh funding to keep its mission to mine the moon moving forward

Jan 29, 2026