According to Reuters, this technology was developed with the goal of making lunar surface exploration missions as intuitive and convenient as the use of map applications on Earth.
The project is called LUPIN and is part of the European Space Agency's program to test new positioning, guidance and timing technologies in the context of increased lunar exploration activities.
According to Steven Kay, project director, the software takes Europe one step further in its efforts to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon and could be a premise for future Mars missions.
During the testing phase, GMV conducted field tests on a prototype of the system on the island of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, which has terrain similar to the surface of the Moon.
The LUPIN system uses signals from satellites around the Moon, similar to GPS, to let autonomous and spacecraft locate in real time.
Currently, navigation on the Moon is facing many obstacles because spacecraft have to rely on complex calculations and data transmitted from the Earth, causing high latency and limited accuracy.
GMV said that communication between lunar and Earth devices depends on direct vision or intermediate satellites around the Moon, creating communication volumes and communication delays, making it difficult to make quick decisions. In addition, changes in terrain caused by meteorological or lunar dust collisions also hinder surface trips.
To address that, the company plans to combine the current map of the Moon with data from satellites surveying low-light areas, such as the far south and far from the Moon - which are often in the dark.
Ms. Mariella Graziano, chief strategy officer of GMV, shared that the company wants autonomous devices to be able to quickly and safely map the lunar surface, supporting astronauts to return and build long-term bases in the next few years.
