First Sale of Space Resources
- justin54534
- Jul 26
- 2 min read
December 2020, NASA awarded Lunar Outpost the first contract in human history for Space Resources. Lunar Outpost will be collecting lunar regolith from the Moon’s South Pole as part of its commercial mission in 2025. Once the regolith is collected, it becomes the legal property of the commercial entity that collected it under U.S. law. Then Lunar Outpost will sell the lunar regolith in place to NASA for Artemis Astronauts or robots to pick up later.
Mission Overview:
Launch Date: 2025
Collect and Sell the First Space Resource in Human History
Rover Class: Exploration Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) – 20 kg
Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9
Lander: Intuitive Machines Nova-C lunar lander
Why This Matters
This contract provides the first framework for all future transactions involving space resources. The establishment of this legal and procedural framework will be critical to humanity's utilization of space. Lunar Outpost will set the precedent with this contract and transaction, allowing for commercial access to the near-infinite resources of space for generations to come.
By unlocking access to these resources, we have the power to transform humanity’s future—ending the scarcity of resources on Earth and redefining how civilization thrives.
Next Steps
The next step is a Mission Readiness Review with NASA, which will grant Lunar Outpost 10% of the total contract value. Upon launch in 2025, another 10% of the contract value will be awarded. Lastly, Lunar Outpost will transfer ownership of the lunar regolith for 80% of the contract value once the Mission has been successfully completed on the lunar surface.
