Icon Spins Off Space Division to Build on the Moon

Proptech firm Icon Technology is taking its construction ambitions well beyond Earth.

The Austin-based 3D-printing builder launched Icon Prime, a new division focused on military and space construction, formalizing a growing slice of its business that already includes Pentagon contracts and a high-profile partnership with NASA. The Austin Business Journal reported the move is another sign that the company is looking to scale revenue streams outside its core residential work.

Leading the division is Will Hurd, a former CIA officer and ex-congressman from Texas, who will serve as president. In an announcement, Hurd described the effort as a way to translate Icon’s automated construction tech into hard-to-reach environments, from remote military bases to the lunar surface.

The company is wagering that its proprietary systems — including its Vulcan and next-generation Titan printers — can solve a persistent problem for the military: how to rapidly build infrastructure in austere or hostile locations. Icon is already testing that thesis. In December, the U.S. Army awarded the firm a $62.8 million contract to construct 10 barracks at Fort Bliss in El Paso using 3D printing, according to the outlet, with each building spanning roughly 10,000 square feet.

That work is now underway, with a rapid six-month construction timeline. Another $67.9 million contract followed for a similar project at Fort Polk in Louisiana, further cementing Icon’s foothold in defense contracting.

But the longer-term upside may lie off-planet. Icon has been working with NASA since landing a $57.2 million contract in 2022 to develop construction systems for the moon. The goal is to use lunar soil — or regolith — as a base material for “printing” infrastructure like landing pads and roads, potentially as early as 2028, according to the announcement.

Executives say mastering horizontal construction on the moon will pave the way for vertical structures, a concept the company is already testing with a simulated Martian habitat at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The expansion comes as Icon continues to commercialize its technology on Earth. Known locally for projects in Austin communities such as the Mueller neighborhood and Wolf Ranch in nearby Georgetown, the company recently began offering its Titan system to other builders, with leasing already underway and sales expected to begin in 2027.

— Eric Weilbacher