Estonian lunar rover platform KuupKulgur makes its debut at Luna, Europe’s unique Lunar analogue site

“LUNA provides a ground-based lunar analogue environment for testing, training and technology development. The facility includes a 700-square-metre regolith test field, where users can carry out activities related to lunar surface operations, robotic systems, mission procedures and scientific research,” explained Quazi Saimoon Islam, Engineer at Tartu Observatory and project lead of KuupKulgur.

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Jointly operated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA), LUNA is a globally unique lunar analogue facility that supports preparations for future human and robotic missions to the Moon.

During the two-day field test in June 2026, KuupKulgur was used as a mobile rover platform for collecting multi-sensor data inside the LUNA training hall. The work focused on characterising the test environment, gathering datasets for developing future autonomous systems, validating logistics and communication procedures, and supporting the development of robotic systems operating in lunar analogue conditions.

“Operating KuupKulgur at the LUNA facility was an important validation step for the rover,” said Islam. “It showed that the platform is mature enough to support data collection in a demanding lunar analogue environment and contribute to the development of robotic systems for future lunar surface operations.”

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For the Tartu Observatory and KuupKulgur teams, the campaign marked an important step from local analogue testing to participation in an international lunar analogue facility. It provided Estonia with access to mission-relevant conditions and showed the country’s ability to contribute to future Moon mission preparation activities. It demonstrated that the rover can reliably support structured data collection in demanding conditions in a large-scale test environment.

The test campaign supported the Resilient Multi-agent Autonomy Platform (RMAP) project, led by Taara Robotics OÜ, an Estonian robotics engineering company developing autonomous systems for complex environments. The visit to LUNA provided a rare opportunity to test and validate multi-agent robotics concepts in a controlled lunar analogue setting. “KuupKulgur was one of the six robots used for data collection at the LUNA facility,” said Gutnar Leede from Taara Robotics. “Its compact size, low weight, and six-wheel drive design make it a strong candidate for future multi-rover missions requiring lightweight and complementary robotic platforms.”

KuupKulgur is a compact six-wheel rover platform designed for payload validation, sensor testing and robotic data collection in lunar analogue environments. It is developed by MTÜ KuupKulgur, a student-led non-profit initiative working in close collaboration with Tartu Observatory of the University of Tartu. Students are actively involved in developing Kuupkulgur, contributing to its mechanical design, electronics, software, and operational activities. Although the timeline for a lunar mission has yet to be determined, the KuupKulgur team is working towards the long-term goal of leaving Estonian footprints on the Moon. The successful testing campaign at LUNA marks a significant step towards achieving that objective.