The best space resources & mining space startups
8 space resources & mining companies in the directory, ranked by disclosed funding ($75.1M raised between them), spanning 4 countries.
Using what is already up there rather than launching it: asteroid metals, lunar water and regolith, propellant depots and in-situ construction. The longest-horizon bet in the industry, and the one that makes everything else cheaper if it works.
Updated 27 September 2026 · Follow by RSS
State of the sector
As of 27 September 2026
AstroForge prospects metal asteroids for platinum-group metals. Karman+ wants asteroid water for refuelling. Interlune plans to harvest helium-3 from lunar soil, and Origin Space builds telescopes to prospect asteroids from orbit.
AstroForge finished its DeepSpace-2 spacecraft in June 2026, to ride with Intuitive Machines' IM-3 lunar lander on a Falcon 9 before the end of 2026.
RedWorks started by designing printers that build habitats from Martian soil, and now sells industrial 3D printers for construction on Earth.
Latest milestones
Every dated event from the companies below, newest first, each with its source.
AstroForge: Completes the DeepSpace-2 spacecraft, 200 kg with a 50 kg payload, to ride the Falcon 9 carrying Intuitive Machines' IM-3 lander before the end of 2026
RedWorks: Partners with EXO5D to sell industrial 3D printers in the US
Interlune: US Department of Energy agrees to buy three litres of lunar helium-3, the first purchase of a non-terrestrial resourceAstroForge: Contact with Odin is lost in deep space; the company publishes a full failure debriefAstroForge: Odin launches on the IM-2 rideshare, the first private deep-space asteroid-mining scout
Karman+: Raises a $20M seed co-led by Hummingbird and Plural for an asteroid mining demonstrationInterlune: Comes out of stealth with $18M to harvest lunar helium-3AstroForge: Brokkr-1 demonstration cubesat reaches orbit, though its refinery payload cannot be switched onShow 9 earlier milestones
Maana Electric: Announces ESA and Luxembourg Space Agency support for TerraBox development on Earth and the MoonRedWorks: Supplies on-site 3D printed stone to Malibu's Sweetwater ParkRedWorks: Sinters play sand into building material in a bench test
Gateway Galactic: Granted a US patent for a collapsible orbital fuel depotRedWorks: Pivots from Mars habitats to construction after joining an acceleratorRedWorks: Begins Earth testing of its Made for Mars spinoff technologiesRedWorks: Reaches the final 30 in NASA's 3D Printed Habitat design contestNew in space resources & mining
All 8 space resources & mining companies
Ranked by disclosed funding.
AstroForge Prospecting asteroids for platinum
Karman+ Asteroid water for orbital refueling
Gateway Galactic DormantLEO orbital propellant depot
Interlune Helium-3 from the Moon
Maana Electric ISRU technology for solar panels
May Marom DormantWater from regolith
Origin SpaceProspecting asteroids with telescopes
RedWorks In-situ additive construction
How many space resources & mining space startups are there in 2026?
Space Bandits tracks 8 space resources & mining companies, 6 of them active, with $75.1M in disclosed funding between them.
What is the latest news from space resources & mining startups?
The most recent milestone on record is from AstroForge, dated 5 June 2026: "Completes the DeepSpace-2 spacecraft, 200 kg with a 50 kg payload, to ride the Falcon 9 carrying Intuitive Machines' IM-3 lander before the end of 2026."
How many space resources & mining startups have shut down?
None has shut down, but 2 are dormant, with no public activity for years.
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