More than half a century after that “small step” that forever changed humanity’s relationship with space, a new mission is taking humankind back towards the Moon. The launch of Artemis II, which took place at the Kennedy Space Center (Cape Canaveral, Florida), marks the beginning of a new trajectory which, for the first time since the Apollo program, will see a crewed mission perform a flight around Earth’s natural satellite.

Four astronauts will travel for approximately ten days aboard the Orion spacecraft, reaching a distance of around 7,400 km from the Moon. The spacecraft will be powered by the European Service Module (ESM), provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) to NASA, a technological core that ensures energy, propulsion, thermal control, air and water for the vehicle. An ambitious goal, made possible also by European and Italian contributions, including the technologies developed by Leonardo, Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio.

Roberto Cingolani
CEO and General Manager of Leonardo

Artemis II takes place in a context where space is increasingly recognised as a crucial domain, where technological development, security and industrial competitiveness converge. A domain that is evolving from an exploration environment into an enabling infrastructure for new economic and operational models on a global scale.

Artemis II to the Moon (credits: ESA, D. Ducros)

Italian industry at the forefront of the Artemis II mission

For the Orion spacecraft, at its Nerviano (Milan, Italy) facility, Leonardo has developed the photovoltaic panels that form the four “wings” of the module, as well as the Power Control and Distribution Units (PCDU). These systems are designed to supply power to all onboard electronics and support the module throughout the journey to and from the Moon, while ensuring the wellbeing of the astronauts. Each “wing” consists of three photovoltaic panels, with a total length of approximately seven metres and a total output exceeding 11 kW.

At its Turin site, Thales Alenia Space has developed the structure of the European Service Module and critical subsystems, including thermal control and micrometeoroid protection, making a decisive contribution to mission safety. Telespazio is also involved in monitoring the astronauts’ journey, having been selected by NASA among its international partners for Artemis II, supporting radio tracking activities through the antennas of the Fucino Space Center.

Italy’s contribution to the return to the Moon is part of a broader, integrated industrial system, in which Leonardo, together with its joint ventures, is engaged in the development of a wide range of technologies, including infrastructure and habitation modules, communication and navigation systems, robotic solutions and advanced digital platforms–key elements to enable operations in space. This commitment is confirmed by the agreements between Italy and the United States: as announced by the ASI and Italian institutions, the deep space cooperation between the two countries consolidates Italy's role in the Artemis program and will lead an Italian astronaut to walk on the lunar surface.

Towards a sustainable human presence on the Moon

Developed by NASA in collaboration with ESA, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and other international space agencies, the Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the Moon and build a comprehensive ecosystem for a long-term, sustainable human presence in deep space, paving the way for future missions to Mars.

In this context, Italy, also thanks to the role of its institutions and ASI, is among the leading industrial partners involved in the development of strategic assets for the new phase of space exploration.

At Thales Alenia Space’s Turin site, the first lunar habitation module for astronauts (Multi-Purpose Habitat - MPH) is being developed for NASA and ASI, ensuring a safe and comfortable environment for astronauts and enabling scientific experiments and interoperability with external assets. The European lunar lander Argonaut, developed for ESA, will transport and deliver cargo to the lunar surface.

In Nerviano, Leonardo is developing robotic systems such as drills capable of excavating the subsurface, extracting and processing mineral resources, and robotic arms able to autonomously handle heavy materials. One example is the drill equipped with the integrated analytical laboratory PROSPECT (Platform for Resource Observation and in-Situ Prospecting for Exploration, Commercial exploitation and Transportation), designed to search for ice and other natural resources beneath the lunar surface and currently under development for NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) program.

Telespazio is leading Moonlight, ESA’s program for lunar telecommunications and navigation, interoperable with NASA’s one. It will consist of a constellation of five satellites capable of supporting communications and navigation on the Moon and between the Moon and Earth. With over 400 lunar missions planned by space agencies and private companies over the next twenty years, the program represents a significant step towards sustainable lunar exploration and the development of a lunar economy.

Among Leonardo’s contributions to lunar exploration is ESA’s LUMIO project, developed by a European consortium led by the Politecnico di Milano and supported by ASI. The LUMIO cubesat, with the Lumio-Cam optical instrument built at the Campi Bisenzio site, will observe meteoroid impacts on the far side of the Moon, contributing to knowledge of the cislunar environment and the safety of future missions.

The Group’s expertise in digital technologies also extends to Space Cloud: space-based data centers, cloud computing, supercomputers and artificial intelligence will play an increasingly strategic role in managing and enhancing the large volumes of data generated by these infrastructures, including on the Moon.

These technologies contribute to the development of the so-called Lunar Economy, which is expected to grow to over €140 billion by 2040 (“Lunar market assessment: market trends a nd challenges in the development of a lunar economy” PwC, 2021), creating new industrial and commercial opportunities across the entire space value chain.

In this context, space represents one of the pillars of Leonardo’s strategy, where industrial capabilities, digital expertise and data management converge to enable new services and operational models. From infrastructure to geoinformation services, and from cloud solutions to space-based data centers, the Group is building an integrated ecosystem to support future missions.

With Artemis and NASA’s Ignition plan, the Moon is once again at the center of international space exploration strategies. Leonardo and its ecosystem are at the forefront of developing the technologies that will shape this new phase: another “small step” opening the way to a new frontier for humanity in space.

Banner photo credits: NASA, Keegan Barber