N° 15–2021: Call for media : ESA advances its plan for satellites around the Moon
17 May 2021
Media representatives are invited to follow a press briefing with ESA directors and representatives of SSTL, Telespazio, UK Space Agency and the Italian space agency ASI on Thursday, 20 May 14:00-15:00 CEST, on a bold proposal that takes us a step closer to creating a commercially viable constellation of lunar satellites.
Dozens of international, institutional and commercial teams are planning to send missions to the Moon, envisaging a permanent human lunar presence. Using a shared telecommunications and navigation service would reduce the design complexity of future individual missions and make them lighter, freeing space for more scientific instruments or other cargo, making each individual mission more cost-efficient.
A lasting lunar link will enable sustainable space exploration.
Two consortia of companies will be supported by ESA to devise detailed definitions of how to provide telecommunications and navigation services for missions to the Moon, under the agency’s Moonlight initiative.
SSTL, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, will lead the first consortium, both in the service prime capacity through its lunar services brand SSTL Lunar and as the satellite manufacturer. The consortium also includes: satellite manufacturer Airbus; satellite network providers SES, based in Luxembourg, and Kongsberg Satellite Services, based in Norway; the Goonhilly Earth Station in the UK; and British satellite navigation company GMV-NSL.
The other consortium will be spearheaded by Telespazio (a joint venture between Leonardo 67% and Thales 33%), working with: satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space (a joint venture between Thales 67% and Leonardo 33%); satellite operator Inmarsat, based in the UK; Canadian space technology company MDA; Telespazio Germany and the satellite manufacturer OHB Systems in Germany; Spanish satellite operator Hispasat; and the Italian Aerospace Logistics Technology Engineering Company (ALTEC), aerospace engineering company Argotec, Nanoracks Europe, the Politecnico Milano and the Università commerciale Luigi Bocconi.
Programme Thurday, 20 May
14:00–14:30 CEST: Kick-off event
14:30- 15:00 CEST: Media Q&A
Speakers
- Elodie Viau, ESA Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications
- Paul Verhoef, ESA Director of Navigation
- David Parker, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration
- Phil Brownett, Managing Director of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd
- Graham Turnock, UK Space Agency Chief Executive
- Luigi Pasquali, Chief Executive Officer of Telespazio and Space Activities Coordinator of Leonardo
- Giorgio Saccoccia, ASI President
The event will be moderated by Ninja Menning, Head of Newsroom and Media Relations.
Media registration
Journalists are invited to register for the media briefing by 19 May via: https://blogs.esa.int/forms/esa-media-briefing-form/
The press conference will be streamed at esawebtv.esa.int, but only registered media will be able to ask questions
Registered media will receive an email with details on how to join. The briefing will be in English.
Social media
Follow ESA on
Twitter: @esa, @esaTelecoms
Instagram: Europeanspaceagency
Facebook: EuropeanSpaceAgency
YouTube: ESA
Hashtag: #ForwardtotheMoon
Images
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images
Terms and conditions for using ESA images:
www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images
For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly spaceinimages@esa.int.
Videos
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos
Terms and conditions for using ESA videos:
https://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions
For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly spaceinvideos@esa.int.
About the European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Slovenia and Latvia are Associate Members.
ESA has established formal cooperation with six Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.
Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int
For further information:
ESA Newsroom and Media Relations Office – Ninja Menning
Email: media@esa.int
Tel: +31 71 565 6409