Lunar Pathfinder will be ready for launch at the end of 2024, offering near side, farside, orbit and polar services to missions launching in the coming years, laying the foundations for a constellation of combined telecommunications and navigation satellites around the Moon.

“Our Moonlight initiative proposes the initial placing of three to four satellites in lunar orbit, offering at least five consecutive hours of service in any 24 hours, focused on the lunar south pole where most of the missions are initially planned,” adds Javier. “Our system is conceived to be expandable and the idea is to progressively enlarge the constellation, and most likely to also include surface beacons on the Moon. This will enable full coverage across the lunar surface, higher availability and excellent accuracies – a great opportunity for Europe.”

About Moonlight

Moonlight is the Agency’s initiative to forge a lasting link with the Moon by developing lunar telecommunications and navigation services, helping enable future exploration.

ESA will propose the creation of a constellation of telecommunications and navigation satellites in lunar orbit for approval by ESA Member States’ ministers at the Agency’s Council at Ministerial Level at the end of 2022.