Spanish firm GMV unveils LUPIN, a GPS-like lunar navigation system to guide rovers and astronauts in real-time across the moon’s surface for future missions.
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| GMV’s LUPIN uses satellite signals and lunar mapping to offer real-time location data on the moon, paving the way for exploration, mining, and lunar bases. Image: CH |
MADRID, Spain — May 10, 2025:
Spanish technology firm GMV has introduced LUPIN, an advanced GPS-like navigation system for the moon, designed to revolutionize how astronauts and robotic rovers traverse the lunar surface. The innovation marks a major step in making lunar navigation as intuitive as using Google Maps or Waze, the company stated.
The project is part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) initiative to develop new positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) technologies amid growing global interest in lunar exploration for science, potential resource extraction, and even tourism.
“With this software, we bring Europe closer to establishing a permanent human presence on the moon,” said Steven Kay, project director at GMV. “This could be a stepping stone toward human exploration of Mars.”
Field tests for LUPIN were conducted in Fuerteventura, one of Spain’s Canary Islands, chosen for its lunar-like terrain. The prototype uses signals from moon-orbiting satellites, enabling real-time location tracking for surface missions. This technology would eliminate the current dependence on slow, Earth-based calculations and communications that hinder rapid decision-making.
GMV noted the moon’s surface lacks updated, real-time data on terrain changes, including those caused by meteorite impacts or lunar dust shifts, which can compromise mission safety. LUPIN integrates existing lunar cartography with satellite inputs, focusing particularly on challenging regions such as the lunar south pole and the far side of the moon — areas largely hidden from direct Earth communication.
“We want these rovers to map the surface of the moon quickly and safely,” said Mariella Graziano, GMV’s head of strategy. “This way, astronauts can return in a few years, work there, and eventually set up permanent bases.”
As the international race to return to the moon intensifies, technologies like LUPIN could be critical for safety, autonomy, and sustainability in space operations — and potentially serve as a model for future Mars navigation systems.