The French space agency CNES has initiated a call for the development of a lunar power station prototype intended for terrestrial testing.
CNES began work on the Lunar Integrated Shelter for Exploration (LISE) initiative in September 2021 as part of its Spaceship France programme. Launched in 2018, Spaceship France aims to lead the development of key technologies for future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars, focusing on critical areas such as habitats, energy generation and storage, and in-situ resource utilization. With LISE, the agency aims to develop reusable lunar habitat modules that will support crewed missions to the surface of the Moon.
The first LISE module will be developed as a lunar power station designed to supply electricity to infrastructure on the Moon’s surface, including rovers and other equipment. On 30 July, CNES published a call for proposals for an initial prototype of the LISE lunar power station module, which will be tested at an outdoor site at the agency’s Toulouse facility.
According to the call, the LISE power station module will be integrated into an Argonaut lunar lander, which is being developed by the European Space Agency, with a first flight expected in early 2030. The prototype will be required to feature four standard power outlets capable of delivering 2,000 watts. The system must be capable of operating continuously for 8 hours and, wherever possible, use commercial off-the-shelf components.
The primary aim of the prototype is to serve as a testbed for innovative energy production, storage, and distribution solutions. The main activities of the project are expected to take place over 14 months, between 2025 and 2026.