To the Moon and back: With LSAS, OHB will be offering a commercial lunar shuttle from 2025 onwards

Oberpfaffenhofen, 9 September 2021. The realization of the lunar landing system LSAS (Lunar Surface Access Service), which the space technology company OHB SE will be implementing together with the Israeli space technology company IAI, is proceeding in great strides: Today, representatives of space agencies, scientific institutions and industry met at the LSAS Consultation Meeting to discuss the future use of the lunar shuttle and the development of the Moon as an economic region. The lunar transfer is expected to bring payloads with a total mass of 80 to 110 kilograms to the Earth’s satellite as early as 2025. Over 100 customers have already expressed their interest in the lunar shuttle.

“With LSAS, OHB is launching the first European mission to land on the Moon, thus creating a very timely flight opportunity for scientific and commercial payloads,” says Dr. Timo Stuffler, Head of Business Development at OHB. With the planned regular transfers to the Moon, OHB also aims to participate in future payload tenders of the European Space Agency ESA. “We will be offering a high frequency of flights. Our customers should benefit from the best service and tailored pricing and mission design,” says Dr. Timo Stuffler.

As the prime contractor, OHB is coordinating cooperation with the potential customer ESA, interested commercial parties and the developers of the scientific payloads. In addition, OHB is responsible for marketing the flights. Thus, OHB manages and coordinates the project and the mission from payload selection and integration to launch and mission operations. IAI is contributing its experience from an earlier lunar mission of its own for the lunar landing vehicle. Dr. Timo Stuffler: “Our efforts will result in the first European shuttle service to the Moon, filling a gap as a possible institutional European lander will not be available until after 2030.”