Lunar Outpost Europe Joins Moonraker Lunar Mapping Mission for ESA
GOLDEN, Colo., July 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lunar Outpost, the leader in space mobility and infrastructure, today announced that Lunar Outpost Europe is contributing to Moonraker, the lunar LiDAR mapping mission being led by NUVIEW GmbH. Selected by ESA for a Phase A study under the Small Missions initiative, Moonraker will generate high-resolution, three-dimensional elevation data of the lunar South Pole to support landing site assessment, hazard identification, and mission planning. The three-dimensional models produced by this mission will provide the most accurate Digital Elevation Maps of the lunar surface to date.
High-fidelity surface maps directly increase the likelihood of successful landing attempts and assist mobility platforms like Lunar Outpost’s MAPP rover and Lunar Terrain Vehicle in efficient traversal planning. Surface data will also provide valuable information to enhance infrastructure like LUX-Thermal, an advanced piece of lunar surface infrastructure designed by Lunar Outpost to protect technologies from the harsh lunar night.
As the Thermal Design and Model-Based Systems Engineering lead, Lunar Outpost’s team in Luxembourg is developing novel thermal management solutions for Moonraker to withstand the extreme temperature swings in low lunar orbit. To accelerate the development of the thermal suite, Lunar Outpost is flying TACOS (Thermal Architecture COmponentS) an IOD/IOV payload funded by the European Commission for a launch opportunity into low Earth orbit to gain flight heritage for key thermal components flown on Moonraker.
Slated for launch in 2030, Moonraker builds on Lunar Outpost’s already robust mission manifest, demonstrating international business momentum, spotlighting ESA association and validation, and continued category leadership.
About Lunar Outpost
Lunar Outpost is the leader in space mobility and infrastructure, developing advanced robotic systems for extreme environments. From enabling the first commercial rover on the Moon and making oxygen on Mars to driving NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services program, Lunar Outpost is accelerating the new space economy for the betterment of life here on Earth. Leading the industry with 10 missions launching to the Moon before 2030, Lunar Outpost is scaling the core technologies that power the industrialization of space. For more information, visit lunaroutpost.com.
About NUVIEW GmbH
Based in Berlin, Nuview GmbH leads the Moonraker mission study which includes several partners alongside Lunar Outpost. NUVIEW GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of NUVIEW Inc., is developing the world’s first commercial space-based LiDAR constellation for three-dimensional mapping of Earth.
Media Contact
LaunchSquad for Lunar Outpost
lo@launchsquad.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f907297b-ce88-4c1b-b86a-7f722886c8cf
Moonraker Image
Moonraker image
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