From Prospecting to Production: Robotic Systems That Enable a Lunar Resource Economy

Getting to the Moon is only half the battle. Sustained lunar exploration means actually being able to work there safely, reliably, and at scale. Whether the goal is extracting water, producing oxygen, or sourcing construction materials, the path to supporting Artemis, commercial missions, or broader cislunar markets runs straight through some unglamorous but critical problems: how do you actually prospect, dig, sample, handle, and process materials in an environment as unforgiving as the lunar surface? This talk takes a practical look at how robotic systems bridge the gap between identifying lunar resources and actually putting them to use. Drawing on Honeybee Robotics' work in planetary drilling, sampling, excavation, and surface interaction, the talk will dig into what makes working with lunar regolith so difficult, including unpredictable subsurface conditions, tight power budgets, low gravity, and thermal extremes that would break most conventional equipment. It will highlight technologies Honeybee Robotics is developing to operate through these constraints, and it will identify the remaining capability gaps that must be closed to move from one-off demonstrations to dependable lunar industrial activity. Ultimately, the talk will frame robotic prospecting, excavation, and material handling not as supporting technologies, but as the enabling infrastructure for a sustainable lunar resource economy.