March 12th, 2025. Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a contract with Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%), to design and develop the space segment of the Navigation System and satellite navigation infrastructure for ESA’s Moonlight Lunar Communications and Navigation Services (LCNS) program.
4 lunar elliptical orbit navigation satellites – Moonlight / Image: Thales Alenia Space/Briot
Moonlight is an ESA program led by Telespazio to create a satellite constellation orbiting the Moon and designed to provide advanced communication and navigation services.
The program will allow precise and autonomous moon landings as well as surface mobility, while facilitating high-speed, low-latency communication and data transfer between Earth and the Moon. This infrastructure is paramount to mankind’s long-term return and presence on the Moon, also improving efficiency and significantly reducing operational and usage costs.
On October 15, 2024, Telespazio signed a contract with ESA to guide and develop the LCNS program. This project involves an industrial consortium of specialized companies, with Telespazio serving as the prime contractor and responsible for the overall system. Within the framework of the consortium, Thales Alenia Space is responsible for the design and development of the LCNS Navigation System and of the satellite navigation infrastructure.
Specifically, in collaboration with a network of Italian and international companies and universities, Thales Alenia Space will be responsible for the design, development and deployment of four lunar elliptical orbit navigation satellites. Additionally, the company will develop key elements of the Earth mission segment and oversee the complete testing and validation of the first satellite navigation system orbiting the Moon.
We are extremely proud to be key in pillar in Moonlight program, providing the navigation system and infrastructure that will orbit around the Moon, said Giampiero Di Paolo, Deputy CEO and Senior Vice President, Observation, Exploration and Navigation at Thales Alenia Space. The partnership with Telespazio, in line with the Space Alliance’s objectives, will ensure the development of a complete turnkey solution for the European Space Agency. Thales Alenia Space is the ideal partner for such an ambitious program leveraging both the expertise developed in Satellite Navigation systems and infrastructures as illustrated through major projects such as Galileo, and leveraging the experience acquired in the field of Space Exploration and orbital infrastructures.
This contract represents another step forward in the solid collaboration between Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space within the Space Alliance, confirming the strategic value of this partnership in the field of space infrastructure, said Gabriele Pieralli, CEO of Telespazio. Together, we are providing ESA with a complete and innovative solution for lunar navigation, combining Telespazio’s expertise in managing and integrating large-scale space programs with the engineering excellence of Thales Alenia Space. The Moonlight program, confirming Italy’s leadership in space exploration, is a unique opportunity to strengthen Europe’s role in space exploration and enable future lunar missions with advanced and reliable technologies.