GMV, a key player in the future of space robotics

The city of Leiden once again became the hub of the latest advances in automation and robotics during the ASTRA (Advanced Space Technologies in Robotics and Automation) symposium. In its eighteenth edition, the event once again featured GMV, reaffirming its role as a benchmark in this field alongside other major industry players.

On the first day, GMV opened the first session dedicated to planetary robotics with a presentation on the DISTANT project, focused on transmission and remote-control systems for rovers operating on the lunar surface. The company also shared its experience in the sensor and perception technologies session, with a talk on how artificial intelligence can enhance rover autonomy during navigation.

During the second day of ASTRA, the LUPIN project (Enabling High-Performance PNT in the Lunar Environment) was featured in the thematic block on localization and mapping. LUPIN is an ESA initiative led by GMV, aiming to develop a navigation prototype for lunar rovers based on new positioning, navigation, and timing synchronization techniques.
Another highlight was FASTNAV (Multi-range Navigation for Fast Moon Rovers), also led by GMV and currently in its second development phase. The first phase of FASTNAV focused on designing and demonstrating a navigation solution for autonomous rovers capable of reaching unprecedented speeds and reacting to obstacles. The current objective is to refine the navigation system further to achieve greater distances within a single lunar day.

GMV’s participation concluded on the third day with the presentation of the GALEON project, which aims to strengthen Europe’s capabilities in high-performance planetary exploration, with fast, long-range operations and advanced autonomous behavior.

Organized every two years by the European Space Agency (ESA) through its Automation and Robotics (A&R) section, the ASTRA symposium once again places GMV at the forefront of robotics and space exploration, consolidating its leadership in navigation systems, operations, and technologies applied to lunar and Martian exploration.