Ever tried navigating the Moon and ended up in the wrong crater?
Good news—space is getting its own version of GPS.
A company called GMV, with deep roots in the space game, is working with the European Space Agency to roll out LUPIN.
A lunar navigation system that promises to help astronauts and robots figure out exactly where they are on the Moon.
Because lunar navigation right now is… not great.
Signals depend on direct lines to Earth or bouncing off relay satellites.
This often means delays and dead zones—tough luck if you’re stranded in a lunar canyon with no bars.
Enter LUPIN. It’s designed to use GPS-like signals from satellites orbiting the Moon.
What’s The Importance?
It focuses on high-priority areas like the south pole and those mysterious permanently shadowed regions.
“These are satellite signals that will be used in the same way as GPS signals are used on Earth,” GMV explained.
They offer astronauts something we take for granted down here: real-time positioning.
As project director Steven Kay puts it, “With this software, we bring Europe closer to establishing a presence of humans on the Moon.”
And who knows? It might even help chart the course to Mars someday.
Finally, a way to moonwalk without losing your way.
