Ramon.Space and Lulav Space are partnering to provide an advanced navigation solution for the Beresheet 2 lunar missions scheduled for 2025. The Beresheet 2 lunar missions are developed by SpaceIL, an Israeli organization for space development, with an aim to conduct a double landing on the Moon and continue in orbit for five years as a platform for science education activities.
According to the agreement, Lulav Space will implement its vision-based landing sensor algorithms on Ramon.Space’s radiation-hardened computing platform and unique in-house RC64, a machine learning, DSP processor. Ramon.Space’s technology effectively supports advanced computer vision algorithms such as those that are being developed by Lulav Space.
“SpaceIL is proud to select Lulav Space as a landing sensor supplier for Beresheet 2 landers and to work together with Lulav Space and Ramon.Space to perform successful lunar landings on both sides of the Moon in our next challenging mission,” said Shimon Sarid, CEO of SpaceIL.
“An accurate, robust navigation sensor is critical to support lunar landings,” said Noam Leiter, CEO at Lulav Space. “We are thrilled to have been chosen by SpaceIL for the Beresheet 2 mission. By using Ramon.Space’s computing platform, we can develop our advanced algorithms easily, rapidly, and reliably to ensure the most accurate and detailed information and support this historic mission.”
The capabilities that Ramon.Space enables include simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms to provide position and velocity to the lander navigation system during the lunar descent as well as hazard detection methods to allow for a safe landing.
Historically, lunar landers utilize radar and laser-based sensors to provide their navigation computer with the required altitude and velocity measurements relative to the lunar surface. However, such systems are significant in size, mass, and power. Lulav Space has developed a more efficient, alternative landing sensor that cuts down on size, mass, and power use without decreasing performance.
“The timely and consistent processing of complex algorithms in space make the difference between mission success and failure,” said Avi Shabtai, CEO at Ramon.Space. “We are confident that our radiation-hardened computing technology, coupled with Lulav Space’s ingenuity, will see the Beresheet 2 spacecraft safely to the Moon. After being involved in over 50 space missions to date, an additional Israeli space mission to the Moon is very exciting and we expect our computing platform to be the engine that will power many more missions to come.”
Lunar landings require modular navigation systems equipped with cameras, complex computer vision algorithms, and high-fidelity graphical simulators. To meet these rigorous moon landing requirements, rad-hard computing power is needed. The combined Ramon.Space and Lulav Space navigation solution will deliver superior performance, durability, and cost-efficiency, when compared to legacy radar, or laser-based systems.
“Reaching the Moon and other celestial bodies is a tremendous technological challenge that excites the imagination and develops the human race’s capabilities,” said Uri Oron, Director General of the Israel Space Agency. “The Beresheet 2 lunar missions, in which the Israel Space Agency and the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology are partners, are clear evidence of this. It is a great pride to see two Israeli companies cooperating in this challenge, thus promoting the entire industry”.