What Moon Express does

Moon Express, Inc. is a privately held U.S. space technology company founded in 2010 and headquartered at the Cape Canaveral Space Campus in Florida. The company develops a scalable, modular family of robotic spacecraft (MX-1, MX-2, MX-9) powered by proprietary PECO engines running on RP-1 and hydrogen peroxide, designed for missions from low Earth orbit through cis-lunar space and onward to Venus and the moons of Mars. Its MX-9 Frontier Class platform can deliver up to 500 kg to the lunar surface and return 8.0 kg of samples, with an architecture integrated to SpaceX Falcon 9 launch services.

The company's business model centers on lunar transportation and logistics revenue generated through government contracts — most notably as one of nine NASA-selected providers under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, awarded in November 2018 — and on a future commercial lunar mining franchise supported by the first commercial permit for lunar resource extraction. Revenue streams are structured as one-time contract payments for payload delivery and transaction-based fees for broader space transportation services. Moon Express serves three primary customer segments: government space agencies (lead customer NASA), the commercial space industry targeting lunar resource utilization, and scientific research institutions requiring lunar surface access and sample return. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, reflecting an enterprise/government sales motion rather than a transactional retail model.

The company's roadmap comprises three maiden expeditions — Lunar Scout (surface characterization at the Lunar South Pole, in development), Lunar Outpost (autonomous infrastructure, in planning), and Harvest Moon (commercial resource extraction, conceptual). Moon Express is founder-led, with Naveen Jain as Executive Chairman, Bob Richards as President and CEO, and Barney Pell as Co-founder and CTO. It has raised approximately $65.5M across disclosed funding rounds from 2010 through 2018, with investors including Founders Fund, Tencent, Autodesk, Collaborative Fund, Innovative Fund, Raymonds Capital, and Richmond Global Ventures. Ownership and post-2018 funding activity are not disclosed in available sources.

Name

Moon Express

Legal name

Moon Express, Inc.

Website

https://moonexpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Moon Express, Inc. is a privately held U.S. space technology company that builds scalable robotic spacecraft (MX-1, MX-2, MX-9) powered by proprietary PECO engines to deliver payloads to the Moon and conduct commercial lunar resource missions, with NASA as its primary customer under the CLPS program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Spacecraft / Lunar Transportation Systems

NAICS

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)

akta.pro primary industry

Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters (IMABACAE), Spacecraft Integration, Assembly & Test (IAT) (IMABACAK), Space Logistics & In-Orbit Servicing (Refueling, Tug, Debris Removal) (IMABACAM)

Keywords

• Lunar spacecraft systems
• Spacecraft propulsion
• Robotic space exploration
• Lunar cargo delivery
• Commercial spaceflight

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Canaveral

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Lunar Cargo Delivery Services: Revenue generated through NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contract for delivering payloads to the lunar surface
2. Space Transportation and Logistics: Providing transportation and logistics services to make the Moon accessible for commerce, science, and future human expansion

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Moon Express designs, builds, and operates a family of scalable robotic spacecraft (MX-1 Scout, MX-2 Scout, MX-9 Frontier) powered by proprietary PECO engines for missions from low Earth orbit to the Moon, asteroids, and Mars. Its primary commercial offering is lunar cargo delivery and space transportation/logistics services, executed through NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program and a planned three-expedition mission manifest (Lunar Scout, Lunar Outpost, Harvest Moon) covering surface characterization, infrastructure, and resource extraction.

Product overview

Moon Express offers a unified portfolio of scalable robotic spacecraft systems designed for lunar exploration and resource utilization. The product line comprises three robotic explorer classes: the MX-1 and MX-2 Scout Class Explorers (designed for lunar and cis-lunar operations), and the MX-9 Frontier Class Explorer (a heavy-lift vehicle capable of delivering up to 500kg to the lunar surface with 8.0kg return payload capacity). The spacecraft utilize proprietary PECO engines running on RP-1 and hydrogen peroxide propellants. These vehicles support a planned three-expedition mission manifest: Lunar Scout (surface characterization, in development), Lunar Outpost (autonomous infrastructure, in planning), and Harvest Moon (commercial resource extraction, conceptual). The company positions itself as providing transportation and logistics to make the Moon accessible for commerce, science, and humanity's future.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MX-1 Scout Class Explorer Single-stage robotic explorer designed for Scout Class exploration capabilities starting from low Earth orbit, delivering flexibility and performance to access the Moon and cis-lunar space. Powered by proprietary PECO engines (RP-1/H2O2) and targeted at lunar cargo delivery and surface missions.
• MX-2 Scout Class Explorer Dual-stage robotic explorer with sufficient capability to reach Venus or the moons of Mars from low Earth orbit. Uses the same PECO propulsion architecture as the MX-1 family and serves deep space and cis-lunar mission profiles.
• MX-9 Frontier Class Explorer Heavy-lift robotic spacecraft equipped with 9 PECO engines delivering up to 500 kg to the lunar surface and 8.0 kg of return payload capacity. Optimized for the first private Sample Return Mission, with dedicated ascent vehicle integration and SpaceX Falcon 9 launch compatibility.
• Lunar Scout Expedition Maiden expedition service focused on surface characterization and site identification at the Lunar South Pole. Targets government space agencies and scientific customers seeking data for future landings; currently in development.
• Lunar Outpost Expedition Planned expedition service for establishment of autonomous systems and infrastructure to support long-term lunar presence. Targeted at government agencies and commercial customers building cislunar infrastructure; currently in planning.
• Harvest Moon Expedition Conceptual expedition service for commercial resource extraction and processing demonstration on the Moon. Aimed at commercial space industry customers pursuing lunar mining and in-situ resource utilization; currently in conceptual planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• NASA-selected provider for Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoon Express is one of nine U.S. companies selected by NASA for the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to deliver payloads to the lunar surface. This partnership represents the company's primary customer relationship and validates its lunar technology capabilities.
• SpaceXcoreTechnology or IntegrationSpaceX provides launch services for Moon Express spacecraft, with the MX-9 mission architecture designed to launch on SpaceX Falcon 9. This launch partnership is critical for the company's lunar mission deployment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Astrobotic Technology: Direct CLPS competitor building the Peregrine and Griffin lunar landers for NASA payload delivery; competes head-to-head with Moon Express for the same NASA task orders and commercial lunar cargo customers.
• Intuitive Machines: Public CLPS competitor that flew the first U.S. commercial lunar lander (Nova-C / IM-1) and continues to bid NASA lunar payload delivery contracts; same target customer (NASA) and same mission profile as Moon Express.
• Firefly Aerospace: CLPS-awarded competitor building the Blue Ghost lunar lander, with both NASA task orders and commercial lunar payload ambitions; directly comparable in product (lunar lander) and customer (NASA) to Moon Express.
• ispace: Tokyo-based lunar lander company with HAKUTO-R missions and NASA CLPS task orders; operates in the same commercial lunar payload delivery category and pursues the same cis-lunar logistics market as Moon Express.
• Draper Laboratory: Selected under NASA CLPS to deliver payloads to the lunar surface, including a far-side mission with the CP-12 lander; competes for the same NASA task order pool as Moon Express.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Origin: Larger, well-capitalized space company developing the Blue Moon lunar lander for NASA Human Landing System and cargo; broader portfolio but directly overlaps Moon Express's lunar cargo delivery mission.
• Sierra Space: Larger space company with Dream Chaser and broader orbital services; broader portfolio but active in commercial low-Earth orbit and future cislunar logistics, adjacent to Moon Express's market.

Others

• SpaceX: Launch services partner (Falcon 9) for Moon Express, but also pursuing Starship-based lunar cargo and crew delivery under NASA Artemis; comparable as space transportation provider and a key dependency for Moon Express.

Emerging players

• Rocket Lab: Small-launch and now spacecraft company with Photon satellite bus and exploration concepts; partial overlap as a competitor in small/medium cislunar and deep space transportation services.
• Planetary Resources (consolidated into ConsenSys Space): Historically pursued commercial asteroid and lunar resource extraction with similar mission profile to Moon Express's Harvest Moon; directly comparable in cislunar resource utilization thesis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MoonEx
• Facebookfacebook.com/MoonExpress
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2144144

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Moon Express