Thales Alenia Space to develop lunar navigation system's space segment

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo, has signed a contract with Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo and Thales, to design and develop the space segment of the Navigation System and satellite navigation infrastructure for ESA’s Moonlight Lunar Communications and Navigation Services (LCNS) program.

Moonlight is an ESA program led by Telespazio to create a satellite constellation orbiting the Moon and designed to provide advanced communication and navigation services.

The program will allow precise and autonomous moon landings as well as surface mobility, while facilitating high-speed, low-latency communication and data transfer between Earth and the Moon. This infrastructure is paramount to mankind's long-term return and presence on the Moon, also improving efficiency and significantly reducing operational and usage costs.

On October 15, 2024, Telespazio signed a contract with ESA to guide and develop the LCNS program. This project involves an industrial consortium of specialized companies, with Telespazio serving as the prime contractor and responsible for the overall system. Within the framework of the consortium, Thales Alenia Space is responsible for the design and development of the LCNS Navigation System and of the satellite navigation infrastructure.

Specifically, in collaboration with a network of Italian and international companies and universities, Thales Alenia Space will be responsible for the design, development and deployment of four lunar elliptical orbit navigation satellites. Additionally, the company will develop key elements of the Earth mission segment and oversee the complete testing and validation of the first satellite navigation system orbiting the Moon.

www.thalesaleniaspace.com