The consortium of JOANNEUM RESEARCH and the University of Vigo (Spain) have been awarded a contract by the European Space Agency ESA to study, design, and develop an E2E simulator for robust communication links in lunar environment, a major derisking step for upcoming ESA lunar missions.
The project, managed by Karin Plimon (JOANNEUM RESEARCH), will address one of the key technological challenges for sustainable exploration of the Moon: ensuring reliable and efficient communication on the lunar surface, and from the lunar surface to the lunar orbit, and Earth.
Michael Schmidt, expert in space technologies in charge of the Space business unit at JOANNEUM RESEARCH, explains: "We are investigating waveform design for optimal data transmission/reception in demanding conditions near the lunar surface. Waveform design, in particular modulation and coding schemes determine how data is transmitted within a radio signal. Their technical design plays a key role in how robust and efficient a communication link is under the specific conditions on and around the Moon." Schmidt's team brings years of expertise in signal processing and satellite communications.
Prof. Perez Fontan from the University of Vigo leads the analysis of the unique multipath propagation effects caused by the lunar environment, including signal reflections from the Moon's surface. Such effects can degrade the quality of a communication link by distorting the signal or causing its strength to fluctuate. Reliable communications are a cornerstone of future lunar landers, rover-based or human lunar exploration. With this project, the two research institutions are contributing to Europe's long-term lunar strategy.
The project directly contributes to the preparation of future ESA missions such as the Argonaut programme, that includes the Lunar Descent Element (LDE), Europe's autonomous cargo transportation system for the Moon. Together with ESA's international collaborations, such programs form a technological foundation for a long-term European presence beyond Earth.
By combining expertise in waveform design and radio frequency propagation, JOANNEUM RESEARCH and the University of Vigo will help shape the technologies future European lunar missions will rely on.
JOANNEUM RESEARCH provides innovation and technology services in the field of applied research. As a research company working on behalf of various federal provinces and regions in Austria, our expertise shapes the development of our modern society and economy – sustainably, and always with a focus on people. As a multidisciplinary team working in a flexible set-up that fosters innovation, we always live up to the highest social and scientific standards.
The national Aeronautics and Space Agency (ALR) of the FFG helps build up domestic space-related research expertise, paving the way for international collaborations such as this one.
The School of Telecommunication Engineering at the University of Vigo offers a EUR-ACE–accredited degree in Communication Technologies Engineering, a Master's in Telecommunication Engineering, and additional master's programs, alongside a doctoral program. Its research spans signal processing, wireless propagation and communications, and computer vision, with close ties to industry giving students hands-on, career-oriented training.
