Qosmosys secures $100M seed to develop lunar tech

Singapore's Qosmosys has made headlines with a staggering $100M seed funding for its lunar lander technology.

• Financiers: The undisclosed investors support the company's unique and protective funding approach. Unlike traditional models, this approach ensures the safeguarding of all stakeholder interests, hinting at a planned IPO by 2028.

• Projects in Progress: The ambitious startup is working on its ZeusX spacecraft, designed for lunar exploration. There are plans to launch the spacecraft in just four years, with a follow-up mission slated for 2029.

• Zeus X Features: The spacecraft boasts a three-module design: a service module, a moon lander, and a lunar-integrated bulk extraction rover for resource collection. This explains the ZeusX's formidable size - standing 8 meters tall and 4.2 meters wide, it's larger than its contemporaries like Firefly's Blue Ghost, Intuitive Machines' Nova-C, and Astrobotic's Peregrine.

• Partnerships: Although details about the first mission remain under wraps, Qosmosys disclosed a partnership with Airbus Defence and Space for technical design and engineering services for the ZeusX concept earlier this year.

• Carrying Capacity: The spacecraft aims to carry hefty loads - up to 500 kilograms to lunar orbit and 800 kilograms to the lunar surface.

Aerospace executive François Dubrulle leads the startup, which operates out of Singapore, with affiliate companies in Houston, Texas, and Toulouse, France. According to Qosmosys, lunar mining, focusing on essential minerals like Helium-3, forms a crucial part of Qosmosys's business strategy.