Lunar Forge

About Lunar Forge

Lunar Forge is a space technology startup that emerged from stealth in July 2026 to develop infrastructure for the lunar surface. The company is led by CEO Alex Bell. Lunar Forge is focused on building the necessary support structures for lunar fission power reactors by using in-situ resources. The company's core technology involves mobile, autonomous laser-sintering systems that process lunar regolith (moon dust) into high-strength structural components. This process includes collecting the regolith, filtering it to control particle size, and then using lasers to fuse the material layer-by-layer without melting it completely. The resulting sintered material can be used to create reactor shielding, containment structures, and thermal infrastructure directly on the Moon. This on-site manufacturing approach aims to solve a major logistical challenge, as transporting construction materials from Earth is estimated to cost around $1 million per kilogram. Lunar Forge's business model centers on partnering with prime contractors of NASA's Fission Surface Power (FSP) program. The company fills a critical gap by focusing on manufacturing the reactor housing and support infrastructure from lunar materials, which is outside the scope of the companies developing the reactors themselves. In July 2026, the company was in the process of raising a $7 million pre-seed funding round and anticipated needing an additional $160 million over the following three years to execute its development plan. The company has a phased development plan that includes a first lunar surface demonstration in 2027 to test its sintering unit on actual regolith. A second mission will upgrade the system's power source to a radioisotope power system for continuous operation. The third phase will involve deploying multiple AI-controlled units operating as a hivemind for fully autonomous construction. Lunar Forge aims to be ready to build the first fission reactor shield by 2030, aligning with NASA's goal to have a lunar reactor operational within the same timeframe.