Alongside these benefits, the ESA added: “Radio astronomers could set up observatories on the far side of the Moon. Rovers could trundle across the lunar surface more speedily. It could even enable the teleoperation of rovers and other equipment from Earth.”
It added that private companies could even make virtual reality games in which players “manipulate lunar robots or see through the eyes of astronauts”.
Thursday’s announcement came months after NASA named its 18-strong team for the Artemis mission, which will see astronauts return to the Moon by 2024 in a spacecraft part-built in Germany.
The ESA indicated its system would be available to all nations with a space programme, including China, Russia, India and the US. But it also added: “Lowering the ticket price to lunar exploration could empower a wider group of ESA member states to launch their own national lunar missions.
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Kongsberg
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