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Date Published: 16/05/2025

Spain's lunar sat nav: This is the cosmic compass made in Madrid

The groundbreaking LUPIN navigation system could guide astronauts and rovers across the Moon - and it’s been built right here in Spain

When astronauts step back onto the Moon in the coming years, they may well be guided by a piece of Spanish engineering designed to work more than 380,000 kilometres from Earth.

GMV (Grupo Mecánica del Vuelo), a Madrid-based technology company, has developed a state-of-the-art lunar navigation system called LUPIN (Lunar Pathfinder Inertial Navigation). It works much like a space-based version of Google Maps, helping astronauts and robotic vehicles find their way around the Moon's featureless surface, without relying on signals from Earth.

At present, there is no satellite infrastructure around the Moon like we have with GPS on Earth. This means missions need to rely on Earth-based communications or complex onboard sensors, both of which can lead to delays and blind spots, especially in regions such as the far side or the Moon’s south pole.

LUPIN sidesteps these problems by picking up signals from satellites orbiting the Moon. It then combines that data with information from inertial sensors and cameras on the lunar vehicles themselves. The result is a continuous, accurate readout of position, enabling faster and more reliable movement.

“This could mark the beginning of a new era in automated lunar exploration,” explains Steven Kay, the project’s manager at GMV. “We’ve successfully tested over seven kilometres of data at different speeds, from the current 0.2 metres per second to a future target of 1 metre per second.”

The European Space Agency (ESA) has supported the development through its Navigation Innovation and Support Programme. LUPIN is designed not only to improve navigation but also to reduce the amount of computing power lunar rovers need to dedicate to locating themselves, freeing them up to focus on the difficult terrain ahead.

The system has already been tested in the Canary Islands, in Fuerteventura’s otherworldly volcanic landscape. Engineers simulated lunar missions during the day and night, using onboard lighting to mimic real conditions, and the results have been extremely encouraging.

Spain is now placing itself firmly in the new space race. With NASA planning its Artemis III Moon mission for 2027 and China aiming for a manned lunar landing before 2030, the need for reliable navigation systems is growing fast. Beyond getting from A to B, LUPIN could one day help land spacecraft, coordinate astronauts with robotic helpers and move resources between lunar bases.

If all goes to plan, LUPIN could become a key part of ESA’s future Moon missions, helping astronauts and autonomous vehicles explore the lunar surface with greater safety and efficiency.

Image: Wikiimages/Pixabay

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