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36 lines
No EOL
1.8 KiB
Markdown
# NASA LIFT-1 (Lunar Infrastructure Foundational Technologies-1)
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**Type:** NASA technology demonstration program
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**Focus:** Lunar in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) — oxygen extraction from lunar soil and rocks
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**Status:** Pre-contract (RFI stage as of April 2026)
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**Parent Organization:** NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)
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## Overview
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LIFT-1 is NASA's planned lunar ISRU demonstration program focused on extracting oxygen from lunar regolith and rocks to inform eventual production, capture, and storage systems for propellant and life support.
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## Timeline
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- **2023-11** — NASA STMD issued Request for Information (RFI) seeking industry input on competitive funding approach for lunar ISRU oxygen extraction demonstration mission
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- **2026-04** — No contract award announced; program remains at pre-contract RFI stage 2.5 years after solicitation
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## Technical Scope
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Primary objective: Demonstrate technologies to extract oxygen from lunar soil and rocks. This addresses the critical extraction step in the ISRU value chain between resource characterization (VIPER, LUPEX) and propellant production/storage.
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Power requirement: ~10 kW per kg of oxygen produced (addressed separately by NASA-DoE fission power system development).
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## Program Context
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LIFT-1 represents the extraction demonstration layer in NASA's ISRU architecture:
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- **Characterization:** VIPER, LUPEX (funded, scheduled)
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- **Extraction demonstration:** LIFT-1 (unfunded, no contract)
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- **Production/storage:** Conceptual (no funded programs)
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As of April 2026, no space agency or commercial entity has a funded lunar ISRU extraction demonstration mission scheduled for the 2028-2032 window.
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## Sources
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- NASA STMD LIFT-1 RFI (November 2023)
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- NASA ISRU program documentation
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- SpaceNews coverage of lunar technologies |