Starpath Robotics

Starpath Robotics (Starpath) develops spacecraft hardware designed to mine and process materials from outer space into rocket propellant. The company produces rocket propellant from raw materials sourced from the moon at a large scale to facilitate lunar refueling so launch vehicles can return to Earth. 

Starpath’s propellant is designed to support increases in launch frequencies and payloads to the moon and to reduce launch costs for commercial missions. The company’s three technologies for producing rocket propellant are a fleet of mining rovers, a refinery, and a vertically deployable solar array. Starpath’s refueling system is claimed to have the capacity to produce liquid oxygen to refuel up to 10 Starship-class vehicles (12,000 tons) per year.

In September 2023, Starpath came out of stealth and commenced developing its solar array for installation with the processing plants located on the Moon’s south pole peaks. Starpath’s mining machines would deliver the material from the lunar water-rich craters to the refinery and recharge the solar array. The refinery would then pump the liquid oxygen (LOX) into large Teflon bags buried underground until it is needed for processing into propellant.