Acceptance of UWB Flight Models for the Moon

CDS has completed the qualification and acceptance campaigns for the 3 Flight Model units of Ultra Wide Band communication and positioning devices which will be launched to the Moon onboard Mission 3 of ispace.

The CDS engineering team has conducted successfully a series of thermal vacuum, vibration, shock and electromagnetic compatibility tests designed to ensure the Flight Models will survive and perform well in the Lunar environment.

The qualification and acceptance campaigns were conducted at the ESA laboratories in ESTEC.

UWB Flight Model prepared for Thermal Vacuum testing

This outstanding achievement was made possible by the excellent cooperation between the CDS, ispace, and ESA teams. Together, they have worked to ensure that the CDS Flight Models, which are now ready for integration, will not only survive the launch and transfer to the Moon but that they will also complete their mission successfully.

About CDS (https://www.cds.ro/) Founded in 1994, Control Data Systems SRL (CDS) is a privately owned technology company located in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. CDS is a developer of wireless products and technologies for industrial applications in areas such as aerospace, oil and gas and environmental monitoring, and has successfully executed multiple research projects in the space domain after Romania joined ESA in 2011, including wireless applications for satellite AIT operations and the development of a wireless communication bus for satellite applications.

About ispace, inc. (https://ispace-inc.com) ispace, a global lunar resource development company with the vision, “Expand our planet. Expand our future.”, specializes in designing and building lunar landers and rovers. ispace aims to extend the sphere of human life into space and create a sustainable world by providing high-frequency, low-cost transportation services to the Moon. The company has business entities in Japan, Luxembourg, and the March 1, 2024 ispace, inc. United States with more than 300 employees worldwide. For more information, visit: www.ispace- inc.com and follow us on X: @ispace_inc.

About ESA (https://www.esa.int): The European Space Agency (ESA) is a 22-member intergovernmental body devoted to space exploration. The ESA's space flight programme includes human spaceflight (mainly through participation in the International Space Station program); the launch and operation of crewless exploration missions to other planets (such as Mars) and the Moon; Earth observation, science and telecommunication; designing launch vehicles; and maintaining a major spaceport, the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou (French Guiana), France.