Thales Alenia Space, a joint company between Thales (67%) and the Italian group Leonardo (33%), signed a contract with the Italian Space Agency (like) “to carry out the preliminary design phase of the lunar habitat module (MPH)”, this Friday, July 25.
Therefore, it is the space branch of the French industrial group Thales that will take place in Italy the module of lunar habitat, a key element of the return program in the Lune Artemis directed by NASA.
This module, whose launch is scheduled for 2033 of the NASA Kennedy Space Center, “will be the first dedicated lunar housing system, according to bilateral cooperation agreements concluding between the US and Italian space agencies as part of the Lunar Artemis program,” he said.
Facilitate scientific research on the moon
The purpose of the module is to receive astronauts during their missions on the Moon and facilitate the achievement of scientific research experiences in the presence or not of astronauts. The module, halfway between an astromobile and a lunar habitat, can move on the satellite surface.
“The future lunar module, the fruit of the historical relationship between NASA and the way, is part of a long -term investment project that Italy has undertaken to allow us to be in charge of a platoon in the new space race,” said Teodoro Valente, president of the Italy Space Agency, cited in the press release.
The Artemis program led by NASA in cooperation with many national space agencies is attacked by the budget cuts proposed by the Donald Trump government.
Source: BFM TV
