ABB to Develop Lunar Soil Analysis Instrument for Canada’s Moon Rover

ABB Selected for Lunar Rover Instrument Concept
ABB has been awarded a contract by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to develop the concept for an Autonomous Lunar Exploration Infrared Spectrometer (ALExIS) for Canada’s Lunar Utility Rover. The rover is being developed as part of international efforts to explore the Moon and better understand its geological and environmental characteristics.

Under the contract, ABB will adapt its Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) technology—currently used in continuous industrial operations on Earth—for operation in the lunar environment.

Analyzing Lunar Soil Composition
ALExIS will be designed to collect spectral data across wavelengths ranging from the edge of the visible spectrum to the thermal infrared. Using FTIR spectroscopy, the instrument will measure how infrared light interacts with lunar soil, allowing scientists to identify chemical compounds and map the distribution of key elements.

Lunar regolith contains elements essential for sustaining human presence, including oxygen, silicon, iron, aluminum, calcium, magnesium, and water ice, which are unevenly distributed across the surface. Rover-based analysis is therefore expected to play a critical role in future lunar exploration and resource assessment.

Supporting Lunar Science and Exploration Planning
Data gathered by the rover will contribute to a deeper understanding of lunar surface composition, morphology, and resource potential. ABB’s engineering team will work closely with lunar exploration and rover specialists to define use cases, operational concepts, and plans for future development phases, including cost and performance considerations.

ABB’s Experience in Space Instrumentation
ABB brings long-standing experience in space-qualified optical and analytical instrumentation. Its FTIR technology has been operating aboard CSA’s SciSat satellite for more than 22 years, providing atmospheric data to the international scientific community. ABB has also previously explored methane detection technologies for Mars and is involved in other CSA-backed space imaging projects.

The lunar rover contract highlights ABB’s ongoing investment in space technologies and the work of its engineering team based in Quebec City, Canada, which supports optical payload development for Earth observation and scientific missions.

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