Moonlight Initiative
This article is edited from: Shangguan Yong, Zheng Peng, Zhang Hua, et al. Research on the Current Status and Technical Development of Cislunar Space Navigation[J]. Journal of Telemetry and Remote Sensing, 2026.
This article author: 天疆说
This article source: https://cislunarspace.cn
Overview
The Moonlight Initiative is ESA's independent lunar navigation constellation research and development project. On October 15, 2024, ESA and European Space Communications signed a 126 million euro contract, marking the beginning of the Moonlight Initiative.
Constellation Composition
The Moonlight constellation is a network of 5 lunar satellites, including:
- 1 communication satellite weighing 1 ton
- 4 navigation satellites based on Galileo satellite navigation system technology
Implementation Plan
| Phase | Timing |
|---|---|
| Formal Implementation | 2026 |
| Preliminary Service | 2028 |
| Full Operational Capability | Before 2030 |
| First Experimental Satellite Launch | Before 2030 |
Relationship with Cislunar Navigation
The Moonlight Initiative is an important representative of the "establishing lunar navigation constellation" approach among the four major navigation technology paths. It forms an international competition and cooperation pattern with the United States' LunaNet and China's 21-satellite near-lunar constellation solution. NASA's LNS constellation and ESA's Moonlight constellation will cooperate to achieve resource sharing and complementary performance.
Related Concepts
- Lunar Navigation Constellation
- LunaNet
- Artemis Program
- LuGRE Experiment
- Galileo Satellite Navigation System
References
- Shangguan Yong, Zheng Peng, Zhang Hua, et al. Research on the Current Status and Technical Development of Cislunar Space Navigation[J]. Journal of Telemetry and Remote Sensing, 2026.
- Han Lin. ESA Announces Moonlight Lunar Satellite Constellation Plan[J]. Chinese Journal of Space Science, 2021, 41(4): 524.