Telespazio and ispace Partner on Lunar Transport and Navigation Services

Written by Copernical Team Wednesday, 01 October 2025 06:18

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Rome, Italy (SPX) Oct 01, 2025

Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo (67 percent) and Thales (33 percent), and lunar exploration company ispace have signed a Letter of Intent to begin technical and commercial collaboration to advance lunar transport and communications. The agreement focuses on leveraging ispace's orbital transfer vehicle capabilities in support of ESA's Moonlight Lunar Navigation and Communication Serv

Telespazio and ispace Partner on Lunar Transport and Navigation Services
by Clarence Oxford
Rome, Italy (SPX) Oct 01, 2025

Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo (67 percent) and Thales (33 percent), and lunar exploration company ispace have signed a Letter of Intent to begin technical and commercial collaboration to advance lunar transport and communications. The agreement focuses on leveraging ispace's orbital transfer vehicle capabilities in support of ESA's Moonlight Lunar Navigation and Communication Services (LNCS) program.

Telespazio, acting as prime contractor for Moonlight under ESA leadership, is developing a satellite constellation that will provide navigation and communications to future lunar missions. The planned system will consist of five spacecraft, each weighing between 400 and 600 kilograms, launched in two phases to establish critical lunar infrastructure.

Through the partnership, Telespazio and ispace will explore the feasibility of using ispace's transport technology to deliver Moonlight satellites into lunar orbit. Building on its 2023 and 2025 missions, ispace has already demonstrated reliable access to lunar orbit.

The agreement also encompasses potential future services in connectivity, navigation, and lunar data utilization. Both companies will assess commercial models and synergies that could accelerate the development and adoption of lunar communications infrastructure.

"This Letter of Intent reaffirms Telespazio's commitment to exploring new commercial opportunities for international cooperation to support the Moonlight program and, more broadly, the lunar space economy," said Gabriele Pieralli, CEO of Telespazio. "The collaboration with ispace represents another step in building a global industrial ecosystem dedicated to deep space exploration."

Julien Lamamy, CEO of ispace-Europe, added: "By combining ispace's transportation and communication capabilities with the communications and positioning expertise of the Moonlight team, led by Telespazio, we see a real opportunity for us to work together to help drive Europe's leadership in the next era of lunar exploration."