Airbus Defence and Space has won a contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a system, which will ensure the safe and precise landing of Russia’s Luna-Resource lunar lander onto the Moon.

The new contract includes the phase B and advanced C development steps for the precise and intelligent landing using on-board technologies (PILOT) system, which will be flown on-board the robotic Luna-Resource lander mission.

Russian space agency Roscosmos will undertake the Luna-Resource lander mission, in which ESA is also taking part.

Currently being developed by Airbus Defence and Space’s facilities in Germany, and in France, together with partners across Europe and Canada, the PILOT system combines navigation techniques with hazard detection and avoidance to support the systems of the Luna-Resource spacecraft.

"PILOT builds upon Airbus Defence and Space’s experience in Moon exploration and visual navigation, and is a key addition to our portfolio of exploration activities focusing on the Moon."

PILOT will supply major information to the Luna-Resource spacecraft during its autonomous landing stage in the final minutes of the lander’s descent to the surface of the Moon.

Airbus Defence and Space space systems head François Auque said: "PILOT builds upon Airbus Defence and Space’s experience in Moon exploration and visual navigation, and is a key addition to our portfolio of exploration activities focusing on the Moon.

"By leading activities on PILOT, the Orion spacecraft, the Lunar Polar Sample Return Study, and architectural Moon exploration scenario studies, our teams are key partners supporting ESA’s exploration of lunar space and the Moon’s surface."

The company that is involved in the field of lunar exploration studies and technology development has also agreed to contribute initial engineering support to Astrobotic Technology, a lunar logistics company that delivers payloads to the Moon for several companies, governments as well as other institutions and individuals.

Airbus Defence and Space will help Astrobotic Technology to advance the technical maturity of the new ‘Peregrine’ lunar lander, which will carry Astrobotic’s first delivery of payloads to the surface of the Moon.