UP Aerospace Rocket Launches LuGRE (Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment)

A LuGRE (Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment) flight test aboard an UP Aerospace sounding rocket on Oct. 1, 2024, demonstrated the effective use of a multi-constellation (GPS-Galileo) multi-frequency GNSS receiver on a launch vehicle. This testing, supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, provided valuable data to aid in ongoing research and optimization of the technology. On Jan. 15, 2025, LuGRE flew aboard Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander, part of a CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) mission. Blue Ghost landed on the Moon on Mar. 2, 2025. During this flight and landing, LuGRE acquired and tracked satellite network signals, marking the first time a navigation solution has been achieved using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) in lunar orbit and on the Moon.