In Toulouse, 5 startups are preparing for the return of lunar travel
Innovate to meet the challenge of “Live and work on the Moon in a sustainable way “. This is the challenge that TechTheMoon, the world’s first incubator dedicated to the Earth’s natural satellite. Concretely, this structure was created in Toulouse, under the aegis of the National Center for Space Studies (Cnes) and the regional startup incubator Nubbo.
TechTheMoon has just named the first five companies that will benefit during one from the support of specialists from these two structures, as well as ” around thirty mentors from Toulouse business circles “, teaches us the Digital Factory.
Technologies will also have to meet a terrestrial need
The lucky ones also benefit from access to the open space and ecosystem of the Cité de l’Espace in the pink city. Finally, the winners collect an amount of 50,000 euros which helps them in the development of their project.
The mission which falls to them from now on will not be easy. TechTheMoon thus intends to promote the emergence of initiatives capable of responding to the problems of lunar missions by 2024. The date of 2030 is also in everyone’s mind and by then we could find a lasting human presence on square.
It will seem almost simple but life on the terrestrial satellite is not easy, as explained by Thomas Fouquet, adviser to the director in charge of innovation, applications and science at Cnes:
The initiative is to identify and accelerate projects that will provide concrete and innovative solutions to adapt to an environment where the radiation rate is 200 times greater than that of the Earth’s surface and where the thermal amplitudes can oscillate. from + 120 ° C during the day to -170 ° at night.
The demand does not stop there because startups will also have to offer solutions that ” the demonstration of a commercial feasibility in response to a first land need », He insisted to our colleagues.
Without further ado, here is the list of the top five companies that integrate TechTheMoon for a:
- Any field : visualization of electromagnetic radiation and measurement of antenna performance
- Metis : in situ analysis of components and equipment
- Orius Technologies : production of plants in a space environment
- Spartan Space : inflatable and mobile lunar habitat
- The exploration company : reusable lunar orbital vehicle