OHB Italia joins Agenzia Spaziale Italiana and Blue Skies Space Italia in the development of the first Italian scientific mission to lunar orbit, based on a swarm of small satellites
Milan, April 9th, 2025 – RadioLuna is an innovative space project that will deploy, for the first time, a high-angular-resolution radio telescope in orbit around the Moon, using a novel space system architecture based on the optimal exploitation of existing space communication and GNSS service infrastructures.
The mission is led by the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) and Blue Skies Space Italia, with the technological contribution of OHB Italia. It will be implemented through a swarm of low-cost small satellites, operating together as a single, large scientific instrument. Each satellite will serve as a node within a radio-frequency interferometric system, forming a synthetic aperture telescope in lunar orbit. The mission’s primary objective is to investigate the “Dark Ages”, a still unexplored era in the history of the universe, between the emission of the cosmic microwave background and the birth of the first stars.
The program is designed to deliver high scientific return with limited resources, by leveraging existing infrastructures and embracing a new-generation approach based on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
“RadioLuna is a challenge where scientific ambition meets engineering pragmatism,” stated Roberto Aceti, Managing Director of OHB Italia. “We are proud to contribute to the development of an observatory that could open new frontiers in our understanding of the early universe, bringing to the mission our expertise and our M3 platform.”
A true paradigm shifts for space astrophysics.
RadioLuna offers an alternative and complementary approach to the traditional model of “ever-larger”, “more complex”, and “increasingly expensive” telescopes. In the current landscape, where cost sustainability is a critical factor, space astrophysics must explore new and scalable pathways, as underlined from ASI.
RadioLuna aims to demonstrate the feasibility of modular space-based telescopes, composed of identical, low-cost, highly redundant satellites built using COTS components, significantly reducing production and integration costs.
Scientific focus is the “Dark Ages” and the formation of the first stars. The mission will explore a crucial, lightless phase in cosmic history, rich in ultra-low-frequency radio signals that can only be detected in radio-quiet environments such as lunar orbit.
As technical subcontractor, OHB Italia is responsible for the “Platform Definition” Work Package, which includes analyzing the compatibility of the M3 satellite platform with the scientific payload; evaluating launch opportunities for small satellites to lunar orbit; and studying the integration with ESA’s Moonlight infrastructure, which will provide positioning and communication services in the cislunar environment.
The mission is structured as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), bringing together industrial players, the scientific community and public funding, in line with the New Space vision and the most advanced collaborative models at the European level.
This forward-looking philosophy leverages the full potential of Italy’s industrial, scientific, and programmatic capabilities, positioning the Country as a leader in the scientific utilization of cislunar space, while simultaneously fostering innovation across a broad range of sectors.
