A few days ago, Lunar Outpost was officially selected for a new In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) mission. This IOD mission is funded by the European Commission in partnership with the European Space Agency, which handles the mission’s implementation.
Details On The IOD Awarded To Lunar Outpost
Taking to its website, Lunar Outpost announced its selection to take part in this demonstration. This mission will support the launch, integration, and on-orbit operations of its TACOS (Thermal Architecture ComponentS).
TACOS technology was designed to help protect spacecraft from the extreme conditions they will encounter during operations in space. Spacecraft are usually designed to operate within a specific operating temperature range. The components developed under TACOS might just be what spacecraft in space need to remain active and operational when heated by solar radiation as well as cooled while in Earth’s shadow.
With this mission, Lunar Outpost has the rare opportunity to bring cutting-edge thermal technology to orbit. While the details on how this technology will be developed or the time frame for the mission are slim, we can expect more details from the space firm over the course of the coming months.
The IOD initiative by the European Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA) allows space firms to test their innovations in space.
This mission is a window to test the TACOS technology in space for validation and possibly adoption for use on other products in the space industry. The company’s wheeled platforms for crewed and uncrewed lunar exploration will have to contend with temperature extremes as well as with regolith (lunar “dust”) issues.