The Google Maps made in Spain that we will use on the Moon: this is the LUPIN navigation system.

When humans set foot on the Moon again in the coming years, the system they'll use to navigate this inhospitable, landmark-free terrain may have been created by a Spanish company . Called LUPIN, it's developed by the technology company GMV and is designed to provide precise, real-time positioning on the lunar surface.

Simply put, it's the equivalent of a spatial Google Maps, but without the need for ground coverage .

GMV, a Madrid-based company that has been working with ESA and NASA on navigation systems for years, has developed this system as part of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Navigation Innovation and Support Programme (NAVISP).

The goal is to test new positioning, navigation, and time synchronization (PNT) techniques for lunar surface exploration. These technologies, the Spanish company explains, will combine current planetary PNT methods with future LCNS ( Lunar Communication Navigation System ) distance-measuring signals. These satellite signals will be used in the same way GPS signals are used on Earth, but with satellites orbiting the Moon.

That is, a constellation of satellites will be deployed in lunar orbit that will allow navigation and communications like those we have on Earth .

Why we need a lunar navigation system

Currently, space missions landing on the lunar surface must calculate their position using signals sent from Earth or complex onboard sensors. Why? Because, unlike our planet, the Moon doesn't have a positioning satellite infrastructure like GPS.

This leads to delays, errors, and areas without coverage , especially when it comes to regions such as the lunar south pole, which is key to future planned missions, or the far side of the satellite.

LUPIN ( Lunar Pathfinder Inertial Navigation ) breaks away from that model. It doesn't rely directly on links with Earth. Instead, it captures navigation signals from orbiting satellites and combines them with inertial sensors and cameras, enabling faster, more continuous, and more reliable localization.

As GMV explains, this advancement will not only improve precision but also enable faster and more efficient routes , while reducing the computational burden dedicated to navigation. As a result, the rover's speed will be determined primarily by terrain conditions, rather than technical limitations , marking "the beginning of a new era in automated lunar exploration."

Canary Islands, test bed for LUPIN

To test the technology, the GMV team traveled to a location that, curiously, bears a striking resemblance to the Moon: the Fuerteventura Volcanoes Natural Park . There, in arid, rocky terrain, they simulated a real space mission and tested LUPIN with excellent results.

Steven Kay, GMV's LUPIN project manager, explains that during the tests at La Oliva, they have successfully collected more than 7 km of travel data at different speeds, " from the conventional speed of 0.2 m/s to future fast speeds of 1.0 m/s ."

Even during these exercises, nighttime tests were conducted with a combination of simulated sunlight to mimic lunar lighting conditions, as well as in total darkness using only the rover's onboard lighting for navigation.

Spain positions itself in the space race

Although it may seem like science fiction, lunar exploration is accelerating: NASA plans to return to the Moon in 2027 with Artemis III, China is planning manned missions before 2030 , and several agencies are studying how to establish permanent bases. All of this requires robust navigation systems, and Spain has positioned itself at the forefront with this innovation .

The LUPIN system won't just be used for navigation. It could also facilitate the landing of spacecraft, coordination between robots and astronauts , and the transportation of resources in future lunar colonies. In short, it could be the most technologically advanced compass in history. And it would do its job more than 380,000 kilometers from home.