Lunar lander startup Qosmosys secured a staggering $100M in seed funding to help it bring its ZeusX lander to the Moon in just four years, the startup announced last week.
“This landmark investment represents a pivotal moment for both Qosmosys and the broader space exploration sector,” said Qosmosys chief Francois Dubrulle.
That’s one big seed: The $100M investment is a massive haul for a seed round in any industry. The investment is particularly notable considering the Singapore-based company was founded just three years ago and has largely been operating under the radar.
ZeusX lunar lander: The company is betting big on the growth of the lunar economy and resulting demand for consistent lunar landing capabilities. Earlier this year, Qosmosys partnered with Airbus to build its flagship product, the ZeusX spacecraft. The 8m-tall spacecraft will consist of three modules:
- The service module, which will power the spacecraft to lunar orbit.
- A lightweight lunar lander.
- Its Lunar Integrated Bulk Extraction Rover (LIBER) to mine the lunar surface.
Qosmosys and Airbus are designing the spacecraft to transport 500 kg to lunar orbit and 800 kg to the surface.
The company aims to fly its first ZeusX to the Moon in 2027, with a follow-up mission in 2029.
Lunar economy: The company will focus on serving customers in three sectors: robotics, research, and mining. Qosmosys is particularly interested in extracting Helium-3, which exists in abundance on the lunar surface. The isotype is highly sought after due to its potential use as nuclear fuel—and is more valuable than gold on Earth.
