Berlin satellite paves the way for lunar rovers

The Tacheles microsatellite will test whether the electronics of future rovers can survive the extreme conditions of outer space. In early April, as part of the Artemis 2 lunar mission, this small, Berlin-built satellite began its space journey. Developed by the startup Neurospace, it was deployed about 40,000 kilometers from Earth to test electronics destined for future lunar rovers. The first data confirmed the mission's success. The project was initiated by TU Berlin graduate Irene Selvanathan, whose team built the satellite in just one year. Tacheles, a box-sized satellite with solar panels, a cold-gas propulsion system, and radiation sensors, addresses the key challenge of making electronics resilient for lunar missions. Neurospace aims to create swarms of small, autonomous rovers to support lunar research and infrastructure, with the first potentially launching within two years. The mission demonstrates that dynamic startups capable of rapid innovation are a vital part of space exploration