Lunar materials processing firm OffWorld Europe has inked a multi-year programme with the Luxembourg and European Space Agencies to develop an ISRU system to process ice resources.
Announced on 19 April, the agreement paves the way for sustainable lunar exploration, as it would enable lunar mining operators to extract, process and store resources from the Moon’s surface.
“The project, which is under the oversight of the European Space Agency, will leverage OffWorld’s cutting-edge robotic modules that are capable of carrying out a range of functions, including prospecting, mining, processing, storing and delivering oxygen, hydrogen, and other volatiles to customers on the lunar surface,” The firm wrote in a press statement, adding: “The program is already underway, and the first demonstration mission on the lunar surface is slated for 2027.”
OffWorld is a Californian spacetech founded in 2016 and focused on developing a new generation of swarm robotic species that can withstand extreme conditions and work collaboratively. Its robotic systems are expected to be used to transport processing modules into permanently shadowed and ice-rich regions of the Moon.
OffWorld Europe was established in Luxembourg in 2023 to develop processes for transforming the excavated materials into products such as gases for supporting life on the Moon, propellants, and water supplies for radiation protection, hydroponics, and other life support systems.
Its Managing Director Kyle Acierno said: “This partnership showcases the power of international collaboration in space exploration. By working with the Luxembourg Space Agency and the European Space Agency, we are advancing in-situ resource utilization technologies and reinforcing Luxembourg’s position in the global space ecosystem.”
OffWorld has already deployed the world’s first autonomous excavation robot inside an operational mine. It is also the first company to have secured mining development contracts on two celestial bodies, both Earth and the Moon.
Luxembourg Space Agency CEO Marc Serres said: “The technology developed by OffWorld will be instrumental in space with numerous applications on Earth. We are looking forward to the next steps of the project, which will also contribute to reinforcing Luxembourg’s positioning in the field of space resources.”
