ESA Launches Competition for Lunar Communications Ideas 

Illustration of a Moon base concept. Photo: ESA

The European Space Agency (ESA) launched a competition on Monday for business ideas involving communications for the future lunar economy. ESA said the competition is looking for business ideas that use lunar communication and navigation services to address customer needs on Earth and on the Moon. 

These prospective businesses would utilize ESA’s Moonlight Initiative, a planned lunar communications satellite constellation. 

ESA expects to offer one-year contracts to develop and assess the feasibility, viability, and demand by potential customers of the ideas. The best ones may be eligible to apply for follow-on opportunities.

ESA gave examples of future business such as a utility company using connectivity to remotely manage power generation, storage, and distribution infrastructure on the Moon; mining companies using lunar satellite positioning to locate water, or data companies building data centers on the Moon to store data in cold conditions.