Polish space technology company Scanway has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to process lunar surface imagery as part of a 2026 joint mission with U.S.-based Intuitive Machines.
The contract, valued at €500,000, extends through 2027 and marks the first commercial European system for lunar image processing.
Under the agreement, Scanway will deliver both an optical imaging instrument for mapping thousands of kilometres of the Moon’s surface and a full satellite data processing system.
The mission will cover thousands of square kilometres of lunar terrain, generating gigabits of data.
“This is a unique competence not only in Europe but globally,” said Mikołaj Podgórski, Scanway’s COO and co-founder, in the statement. “Lunar imagery commands a significantly higher price than Earth observation data from low orbit, which creates substantial market potential for companies with the capability to process such information.”
Imagery targets will be jointly selected by ESA, Intuitive Machines, and Scanway, with the aim of providing key optical data for future exploration and commercial applications.(PAP)
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