Vermeer's next bet: Moon work
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A rendering of the Interlune Harvester, which will incorporate excavation hardware developed in partnership with Vermeer. Illustration: Courtesy of Interlune
Iowa-based equipment manufacturer Vermeer is eyeing its future on the Moon, including plans to mine for a rare form of helium.
Why it matters: The effort could be a game-changer for fusion energy, quantum computing and national security advancements.
- Vermeer's Moon efforts come as the company launches a $100 million expansion in Bondurant.
Driving the news: Vermeer has worked for over two years with the startup Interlune to build equipment that could mine helium-3 from space, leveraging its expertise in excavation and underground infrastructure.
- The effort comes as NASA launched Artemis II this week, its first crewed Moon mission in decades.
State of play: Interlune and Vermeer unveiled a full-scale prototype excavator in May 2025 that is designed to process about 100 metric tons of Moon dirt per hour as part of a helium-3 harvesting system.
Reality check: Interlune has an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy to purchase helium-3, but only if it can deliver it by 2029.
- The company has not yet demonstrated it can extract or return helium-3 from the Moon at scale.
Yes, but: Vermeer could expand as a lunar player beyond helium missions with infrastructure that could be needed for further exploration.
- CEO Jason Andringa told "The Iowa Podcast" this week that he has had discussions with aerospace players, including SpaceX.
The intrigue: What the Vermeer/Interlune team would build for the Moon would be applicable on Mars as well, Andringa said.
What they're saying: The Bondurant facility is expected to open next year and focus on high-volume components like cutting edges and wear parts used in trenchers, drills and grinders.
- Moving that work frees space at the company's Pella headquarters to expand production of larger, high-demand equipment, such as large drills and surface mining machines, per the podcast.
The bottom line: The Bondurant expansion aims to meet today's demand, but its lunar interests suggest a longer-term bet that Iowa manufacturing could play a role in the space economy.