Interview Column #Perspectives - Obloo

Stefano Pescaglia - Founder of Evolunar

1. Why did you start Evolunar?

It all started with a question that only an astronaut could really address: how will humans live on the Moon? It was to answer this that Roberto Vittori, Astronaut and ITAF General, began to focus on exploring lunar lava tubes, which represent strategic sites for the creation of future lunar bases. It was 2020 and I was looking for a challenging master's thesis when Prof. Paolo Maggiore proposed me to work on this exciting project. After the thesis I continued to work on this venture with my PhD and after years of work, and with the contributions of several colleagues (including one of the future founders of Evolunar, Giuseppe Bortolato), we eventually developed a technology that would have been able to face the exploration challenges we had started with. Not only that, by working together with the major players in the space industry, we realized that our solution would not only enable the exploration of lunar underground caves but would also allow us to provide a wide range of services that are more and more required as the lunar economy grows. This is what eventually led us to found Evolunar!

2. How does your technology work?

Evolunar’s team is working on LuNaDrone, a small spacecraft capable of flying autonomously over the lunar surface. The extreme mobility capabilities of this vehicle allow us to offer a whole range of post-landing services, from exploring sites of interest to last-mile delivery of customer payloads. This spacecraft can perform scouting flights to identify resources to be mined and collect critical data for efficient mission planning by identifying potential hazards and locating the most promising sites that maximize the commercial and scientific returns for the customer. Thanks to its rocket propulsion and autonomous navigation systems, LuNaDrone can fly even in the most challenging lunar environments. This innovative vehicle can collect data at a higher resolution than orbiters and fly over rough terrain that would otherwise be inaccessible to rovers. Furthermore, its compact size makes it suitable for being transported even on small commercial landers, ensuring maximum flexibility for the customer.

3. What emerging or niche technologies?are you currently keeping a close eye on, and how do you envision them impacting your industry in the next 5 years?

The lunar economy cannot exist if we are unable to reach the surface of our satellite. That is why we have been looking carefully at technologies that enable us to reach the Moon. Fortunately, there are many investments, both private and public, that are driving the development of landers capable of providing a stable and affordable access to the lunar surface. Of course, we are also keeping an eye on all those technologies related to ISRU, particularly Moon mining, for which our LuNaDrone could be extremely valuable. Furthermore, to keep improving LuNaDrone's performances we are always staying updated on green propulsion technologies, innovative materials and new computer vision techniques.

?4. Many successful companies pivot or iterate their initial ideas. Can you describe a significant pivot or evolution your start-up went through in terms of technology or product strategy and how did it contribute to your current success?

As mentioned earlier, the idea came about to solve a single use-case: exploring lunar lava tubes. Specifically, LuNaDrone was supposed to fly inside some of the hundreds of lunar pits discovered since 2009 to find potential access to underground caverns. As strategically important as these sites are, a single use-case is not ideal for a business idea. It was when we decided to expand the scope of LuNaDrone that things turned around. The identification of terrestrial applications for critical technologies, such as the navigation system, was also pivotal.

5. Sustainability is?becoming increasingly important in the tech industry. How does your technology contribute to environmental or social goals and what role do you believe tech companies should play in addressing these challenges?

The social impact of space missions and all related activities is widely known and ranges from inspiring the younger generations to fostering a greater sense of connection with other people and the Earth as a whole. From a sustainability perspective, resource extraction from the Moon could be an important contribution to a more sustainable world, and our technology would be well capable of supporting this new chapter in human history.

6. Your favourites! (podcasts, articles, books)

I love to read fantasy books. After endless days at work, it is somewhat liberating to immerse oneself in a world free from everyday worries.