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Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment 1 (PRIME-1)

PRIME-1 will be the first in-situ resource utilization demonstration on the Moon.

Active Mission

Space Technology Mission Directorate

Game Changing Development

Before Artemis astronauts land on the Moon, robots will scout the surface for resources and collect information about the lunar South Pole. Some landers and rovers will come equipped with handy tools, including drills and chemical analyzers, to examine what lies below the lunar surface.

Mission Type

Lunar Ice Mining Experiment

Drill Weight

80 pounds (36 kilograms)

Designed by

Honeybee Robotics

Drill length

3.2 feet (1 meter)

What is PRIME-1?

The data from PRIME-1 will help scientists understand in-situ resources on the Moon, including resource location mapping.

The goal of PRIME-1 project is to develop a flight ready system that can assess the composition of regolith for water content and other volatiles at a polar lunar landing location. The technology consists of a mass spectrometer for observing lunar operations (MSolo) and The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain (TRIDENT).

Learn More about What is PRIME-1?
The Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) will help scientists search for water at the lunar South Pole. NASA selected Intuitive Machines of Houston to fly PRIME-1 to the Moon in 2024 under the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.

Featured Video

PRIME-1

PRIME-1 will help scientists search for water at the lunar South Pole, and will be the first in-situ resource utilization demonstration on the Moon.

PRIME-1, which will be mounted to a lunar lander, is made up of two components – The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain (TRIDENT) and the Mass Spectrometer for Observing Lunar Operations (MSolo). NASA selected Intuitive Machines of Houston to fly PRIME-1 to the Moon in 2024 under the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.

Watch on YouTube about PRIME-1
The Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment (PRIME-1)
NASA

NASA Awards Contract to Deliver Science, Tech to Moon Ahead of Human Missions

Masten’s XL-1 lunar lander will deliver science and technology payloads to the Moon’s South Pole in 2024.

Learn More about NASA Awards Contract to Deliver Science, Tech to Moon Ahead of Human Missions
Masten’s XL-1 lunar lander will deliver science and technology payloads to the Moon’s South Pole in 2022.

NASA Asks Commercial Partners to Land Water-Measuring Drill on Moon

The approximately 88-pound payload will be launched to the Moon to locate ice close to the lunar surface.

PRIME-1 will drill into the Moon’s surface where it lands, harvest and bring ice to the Moon’s surface, and use a mass spectrometer to measure how much is lost to sublimation as it turns from solid into vapor in a vacuum.

Learn More about NASA Asks Commercial Partners to Land Water-Measuring Drill on Moon
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