Ibadan, 4 March 2024. – ispace Europe S.A. (ispace), the Luxembourg-based subsidiary of ispace Inc., and Control Data Systems SRL (CDS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to payload services and strategic cooperation on future lunar missions. The agreement aims to leverage ispace’s lunar transportation services and CDS’s advanced localization (position measurement) and telecommunications capabilities to promote further exploration of the lunar surface aimed at supporting long-term human habitation and infrastructure on the Moon.
The agreement between the two companies marks the first joint step towards significant contributions to the scientific understanding of the Moon for potential future commercial purposes. As a result, both companies have entered into negotiations for future payload services to deliver the technology to the lunar surface. Furthermore, realizing this future mission would mark the first Romanian payload to reach the lunar surface. CDS’s technology, which combines precision localization with telecommunications, uses Ultra-Wideband for determining precise positions and was developed specifically for space applications with support from the European Space Agency.
Speaking about the agreement, Ovidiu Ratiu, Founder and CEO at CDS, commented, “Working with ispace will allow us to test our localization and communications technology on the lunar surface and better understand how to meet the needs of lunar exploration.” The CEO also added, “The partnership with ispace is a great opportunity for CDS to engage early on in the emerging lunar economy.”
Likewise, Julien-Alexandre Lamamy, CEO of ispace Europe S.A., added, “Our collaboration with CDS exemplifies how ESA-supported innovations can access affordable and timely lunar demonstrations through our commercial services. This agreement underscores the unique capabilities and services that ispace can offer to customers in Europe and globally. We are excited about future collaborative lunar endeavors with CDS.”