ispace EUROPE S.A., the Luxembourg-based subsidiary of ispace, and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) have signed a payload services agreement to transport a Laser Retroreflector Array (LaRA2) to enable accurate position measurements on the Moon via laser ranging experiments, the two organizations announced. The agreement marks the first full-scale contract between ispace-EUROPE and ASI, with both organizations looking to joint future lunar development.

LaRA2 is a small, robust, and lightweight instrument built to work without any power source and to survive the harsh surface conditions on the Moon for an extended period of time. It features a precise array of retroreflectors (corner cube prisms) designed to reflect laser beams directly back to their source, regardless of the angle of incidence. The same instrument is installed on the NASA’s Perseverance rover, currently exploring Mars.

“This collaboration with the Italian Space Agency is a great example of how commercial companies are enablers to lunar science led by space agencies. Adding LaRA2 to the existing retroreflectors deployed on the Moon will open new possibilities of mapping the surface for scientific research and will help refining navigation capabilities to enable future missions” said Julien Lamamy, CEO of ispace-EUROPE.

The technology will be integrated into the APEX 1.0 lunar lander as part of ispace technologies U.S. (ispace-U.S.) Mission 3, currently scheduled to land in the Schrödinger Basin (far side of the Moon, South Pole) in 2026. After touchdown, ASI will enable long-term laser ranging observations of LaRA2 by lunar orbiters.

By coupling the LaRA2 measurements with measurements from other retroreflectors previously deployed on the near side of the Moon during the Apollo missions and others, ASI scientists expect to gather valuable data that will help mapping the Moon and improve navigation and positioning on the lunar surface.

ispace is leveraging its global presence through its three business units in Japan, the U.S., and Luxembourg, for the simultaneous development of upcoming missions. Mission 2, featuring the RESILIENCE lunar lander and TENACIOUS micro rover, is led by ispace Japan and is now scheduled for launch no earlier than mid-January 2025. Mission 3, debuting the APEX 1.0 lunar lander, is led by ispace-U.S. and is expected to launch in 2026. Mission 6, which will utilize the Series 3 lander, currently being designed in Japan, is scheduled to be launched by 2027.

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