NASA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI) have reached a major milestone in space exploration by successfully capturing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals on the Moon. This achievement, made possible through the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE), paves the way for future lunar missions to utilize Earth-based navigation technologies for precise positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) on the lunar surface.
LuGRE was launched aboard Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The experiment’s primary objective was to test whether GPS (U.S.) and Galileo (Europe) satellite signals could be received and utilized for accurate lunar navigation.
During its journey, LuGRE successfully tracked GNSS signals in transit, in lunar orbit, and on the Moon’s surface for up to two weeks. This marks the first recorded demonstration of GNSS signal reception on and around the Moon, a breakthrough that could enable future space missions to navigate more autonomously with minimal reliance on Earth-based tracking stations.
The data collected by LuGRE will be instrumental in developing dedicated GNSS-based lunar navigation systems, reducing operational complexity and increasing mission resilience. By leveraging existing Earth-based navigation infrastructure, future lunar explorers—including robotic and crewed Artemis missions—could benefit from more efficient and precise positioning systems.
This successful demonstration is a crucial step toward establishing robust navigation frameworks for long-term lunar exploration. It aligns with NASA’s Artemis program goals and international efforts to support sustained human and robotic presence on the Moon. As space agencies and private enterprises prepare for the next era of lunar exploration, GNSS technology could revolutionize how missions navigate and operate beyond Earth.