If you are in the space exploration sector, chances are high you already have heard of IGLUNA before. The project, hosted by the Swiss Space Center, aims to support and accelerate the ESA_lab@ initiative which is ESA’s hub for cooperation’s with universities and academia/research institutions. IGLUNA’s goal is to create an analogue lunar habitat mission in which it’s participants can test and show off their future space exploration technologies.

This year, 13 university teams from 9 different countries take part in this mission along with Lunar Zebro. The main objective of this mission: a field campaign taking place in July 2021 on top of the over 2km high Pilatus Kulm in Switzerland. It’s cold temperatures and harsh environment make it a perfect location for recreating the Lunar environment that the Zebro will have to endure and offer a great challenge. Combine that with remote operations experience and it becomes clear why our excitement is so high.

But that’s not all! Lunar Zebro will also be making use of this opportunity to show off it’s latest swarming technology as well as it’s obstacle detection software and new locomotion algorithm. The mission’s cold environment offers a chance to put our thermal design to test and we will also be evaluating the new body design and analysing our control data handling system.

To conclude, more than enough challenges for the Lunar Zebro! IGLUNA 2021, here we come!