Goonhilly to Support India and US Lunar Missions
Goonhilly Earth Station will support three upcoming lunar and deep space missions with organizations in India and the U.S., as it looks to showcase its capabilities as a commercial deep space ground station. The company announced this support, July 14. The company has looked to forge partnerships with international space agencies to advance space exploration and the lunar economy.
The first two missions will be undertaken by ISRO, and are looking to revolutionize our understanding of celestial bodies. For the Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander mission which launched on July 13, Goonhilly and the European Space Agency (ESA) will provide key support during the cruise, lunar orbit, and on-surface operations phases. Goonhilly’s involvement with the Aditya-L1 solar observatory mission will also encompass vital assistance during the cruise and operations phases.
Alongside these two missions with ISRO, the company will also be involved with supporting Texas-based Intuitive Machines’ first mission to the Moon, IM-1, which aims to be the world’s first commercial lunar landing. Goonhilly will extend its expertise during the cruise, lunar orbit, and on-surface operations. Goonhilly has already been part of validating the lunar telemetry and tracking capabilities — the complete lunar communications solution required for this mission — by successfully acquiring and tracking NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) in an exercise with Intuitive Machines personnel.
“The collaborations with ISRO, ESA, and Intuitive Machines exemplify our commitment to advancing space exploration and facilitating global scientific achievements. As we witness an unprecedented surge in space missions and the emergence of new players in the market, Goonhilly is proud to provide the critical communications capacity needed to support this new era of space exploration. Our international expansion reinforces our dedication to meeting the growing demands of the space industry and underscores our role as pioneers in space commercialisation,” Matt Cosby, CTO of Goonhilly Earth Station, said in a statement.