Lunar   Mapper  & Inspector 

LUMI carries a compact imaging payload composed of two narrow-angle cameras and one framing camera, optimized for low-altitude passes over the lunar south pole.
Operating in a demanding thermal and radiation environment, the spacecraft uses a robust, cost-efficient European platform designed for eccentric polar orbits.
Advanced onboard data handling, compression, and X-/K-Band communications ensure efficient transfer of the large data volumes generated by the payload.

The mission will fly in a 250 × 20 km elliptical polar orbit, maintaining perilune over the lunar south pole to provide repeated close-range observations of high-priority sites between -70° and -90° latitude.
Frequent passes during short illumination windows will reveal topographic detail within shadowed craters and low-lit terrains, supporting landing site assessment, slope analysis, and surface hazard detection.
A hybrid communication strategy combines direct-to-Earth links with inter-satellite relays via ESA’s Moonlight LCNS and Lunar Pathfinder.

By providing independent, high-resolution topographic data, LUMI strengthens Europe’s capability to plan and conduct safe, autonomous lunar surface operations.
Its outputs will directly support upcoming missions such as ESA’s Argonaut and PROSPECT, and NASA’s Artemis landers.
LUMI demonstrates Europe’s growing leadership in cost-effective, small-satellite exploration – paving the way for future scientific and commercial activity on and around the Moon.

The LUMI mission is led by TRL Space Systems (Czech Republic) as prime contractor and mission integrator under the European Space Agency’s exploratory programme.
Key partners include CrystalSpace and the University of Tartu (Estonia) for imaging payloads and simulation tools, Tyvak International (Italy) for spacecraft platform design, and Konkoly RCAES (Hungary) for scientific analysis.
Scanway Space (Poland) provides optical systems and data processing support, Dawn Aerospace (Netherlands/New Zealand) supplies the propulsion system, and Zaitra (Czech Republic) contributes onboard AI-based data handling.
Together, this consortium combines Europe’s leading expertise in spacecraft engineering, imaging, and science to deliver a new generation of lunar mapping capability.