ispace EUROPE SA (ispace-EUROPE), the Luxembourg subsidiary of ispace, inc., and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) have signed a payload services agreement for the transport of a laser retroreflector array (LaRA2) to enable precise position measurements on the Moon through laser ranging experiments, as announced today by the two organizations.
This agreement represents the first large-scale contract between ispace-EUROPE and ASI, with both organisations considering collaboration on future lunar developments.
LaRA2 is a small, rugged, and lightweight instrument designed to operate without a power source and survive the harsh conditions of the Moon’s surface for an extended period of time. It features a precise array of retroreflectors (corner cube prisms) designed to reflect laser beams directly back to their source, regardless of the angle of incidence. The same instrument is installed on NASA’s Perseverance rover, which is currently exploring Mars.
“This collaboration with the Italian Space Agency is a great example of how commercial companies are facilitating lunar science conducted by space agencies. The addition of LaRA2 to existing retroreflectors deployed on the Moon will open up new possibilities for surface mapping for scientific research and help refine navigation capabilities to enable future missions,” said Julien Lamamy, CEO of ispace-EUROPE.
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This technology will be integrated into the APEX 1.0 lunar lander as part of ispace technologies US (ispace-US) Mission 3, which is currently scheduled to land in the Schrödinger basin (the far side of the Moon, South Pole) in 2026. After landing, ASI will enable lunar orbiters to perform long-term observations of LaRA2 using laser ranging.
By coupling LaRA2’s measurements with those from other retroreflectors previously deployed on the far side of the Moon during the Apollo and other missions, ASI scientists hope to collect valuable data that will help map the Moon and improve navigation and positioning on the lunar surface.
ispace is leveraging its global presence with three business units in Japan, the United States and Luxembourg for the simultaneous development of upcoming missions. Mission 2, which includes the RESILIENCE lunar lander and the TENACIOUS micro rover, is led by ispace Japan and is now scheduled to launch no earlier than mid-January 2025. Mission 3, which features the APEX 1.0 lunar lander, is led by ispace-US and is scheduled to launch in 2026.
SOURCE: Businesswire