Lunar Outpost: Technology in space, impact on earth

The primary mission of our rovers is to carry important payloads on the moon. From facilitating analysis of the lunar soil, to testing communication infrastructure capabilities, the rovers are autonomously mapping the environment around them, and are picking up and analysing information with machine learning to make decisions on that basis.

Julian believes our long-term presence in space requires technologies that enable such systems to survive in the very harsh environment out there - and when it comes to understanding our universe and what’s around us, the better we know where we live, the better we can understand where we fit in.

Founded in 2017 in Colorado, USA, the company recently opened its European branch, teaming up with the Luxembourg Space Agency to work specifically on thermal control and energy storage technologies.

“Luxembourg is very unique as a hub, given the high concentration of space-related start-ups here. I think they really recognise the future of the industry, and that says something about its potential. In Europe, in general, there is a lot of growth potential. Being part of this growing ecosystem, helping other companies to realise their ambitions in the lunar ecosystem is a real opportunity for us”, says Julian.

The company’s fundraising was boosted in early 2022 with an equity investment from Orbital Ventures, a VC fund backed by the EIF. “We doubled in size, further developed our technology for space and our rovers, and we invested in our facilities.”

But fundraising hasn’t always been straight-forward: “When we first started, private investors were not very interested in lunar operations. We saw that change with time. It has increased significantly since then, and soon we will have something ‘Made in Luxembourg’ on the moon.”