The Moonlight Initiative is a project by the

European Space Agency , owners = , headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France , coordinates = , spaceport = Guiana Space Centre , seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png , seal_size = 130px , image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...

with the goal of providing support for space companies in Europe to create uninterrupted

telecommunications satellite A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth. C ...

coverage between

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

and

the Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the List of natural satellites, fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth ( ...

, facilitating future lunar projects.

Compatibility

The

ESA , owners = , headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France , coordinates = , spaceport = Guiana Space Centre , seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png , seal_size = 130px , image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...

states that it intends to work in partnership with

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

in "creating lasting telecommunications and navigation links with the moon", involving the adoption of the

LunaNet LunaNet is a NASA and ESA project and proposed data network aiming to provide a "Lunar Internet" for Cis-lunar space, cis-lunar spacecraft and installations. It will be able to Store and forward, store-and-forward data to provide a Delay-tolerant ...

specifications.

Goals

The stated end goal of the Moonlight project is to make it easier for companies to build infrastructure (i.e. mining, utilities, power, etc.) on the Moon, culminating in a sustained long-term human presence. Their website envisions a thriving lunar economy that provides jobs and "commercial opportunities" to develop new technologies needed to progress humanity's presence on the Moon and on other planets. On 9 October 2023, the ESA launched "a competition for visionary business ideas" for such technologies, and expects to offer contracts to develop those ideas.

References

European Space Agency programmes {{ESA-stub