Astroport and FourPoint, two graduates of the European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC) Startup Support Programme (SSP), have jointly signed a memorandum of understanding for their lunar project.
Launched in 2020, in partnership with the European Space Agency, Luxembourg Space Agency, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology and technology incubator Technoport, ESRIC’s first cohort of startups already appears to be bearing fruit.
Indeed, the US-based Astroport Space Technologies and the Poland-based FourPoint were two of only five companies chosen for ESRIC’s first SSP. FourPoint was also selected to be the first incubated startup to continue to phase two of the programme, receiving additional technical and business support as well as a grant of up to €200 000.
“We are happy to join Astroport and its international partner network of organisations involved in the LLP project. The participation in the ESRIC SSP gave us the unique opportunity to connect with amazing companies and individuals building up a future lunar economy,” said Marek Wilgucki, CEO of FourPoint.
The collaboration will initially focus on developing the construction technologies necessary for establishing safe landings at lunar camps. Their Lunar Launch and Landing Pad (LLP) will aid NASA’s Artemis return to the Moon programme.
While Astroport will be developing their patent-pending technology for melting lunar soil to form “Moon bricks”, FourPoint will use its Autonomous Transport Platform (ATP) for hauling and transporting lunar material to feed Astroport’s LunatronTM brickmaker. FourPoint’s ATP offers a complete solution for autonomous machine operation, adapted to work in specific areas which improves the speed and efficiency of work in opencast mines, as well as other extreme environments such as on the lunar surface.
The collaboration between both companies not only speaks to ESRIC’s selection process but will also benefit the Luxembourg spacetech ecosystem as both FourPoint and Astroport intend to establish subsidiary operations in Luxembourg. FourPoint will also join Astroport’s international partner network of companies and academic research organisations developing the LLP construction concept of operations and associated technologies.
