The European Space Agency (ESA) at the International Astronautical Congress, launched its Moonlight Lunar Communications and Navigation Services (LCNS) programme on October 15.
Key points
- ESA’s Moonlight programme, which aims to establish Europe’s first-ever dedicated satellite constellation for telecommunication and navigation services for the Moon.
- With over 400 planned lunar missions by space agencies and private companies in the next two decades, this programme marks a significant step towards sustainable lunar exploration and the development of a lunar economy.
- Moonlight will be a constellation of five lunar satellites (one for high data rate communications and four for navigation), launched into space and carried by space tug from Earth’s orbit to the Moon’s.
- The constellation will connect to Earth via three dedicated ground stations, creating a data network spanning up to 400 000 km.
- Ultimately, it aims to provide services such as satellite navigation, video conferencing, and file sharing as seamless on the Moon as they are on Earth.
