The Moon has been the ultimate goal of space exploration for decades. First as a dream, later as a technological achievement.<\/p>\n
But one issue, above all, continues to cause problems: Where can you land without courting disaster?<\/p>\n
This sets the stage for Denmark\u2019s first lunar mission.<\/p>\n
In 2029, the Danish-led satellite M\u00e1ni \u2014 named after the Old Norse word for our celestial companion \u2014 is scheduled to orbit the Moon and map out safe landing sites. The mission is led from the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) by Associate Professor Jens Frydenvang and is the result of a collaboration between Danish and international universities, as well as private corporations via the European Space Agency, ESA.<\/p>\n
This marks the real beginning of our mission to the Moon<\/p>\n
Jens Frydenvang, associate professor at UCPH and leader of the M\u00e1ni mission<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The Danish government has earmarked DKK 125\u2013130 million for the project, with the total budget of around EUR 50 million being co-financed with other European countries.<\/p>\n
The mission got the green light on 16 December from ESA to proceed to the next phase of development.<\/p>\n
\u00bbIt was a huge relief when we got the news,\u00ab says Jens Frydenvang.<\/p>\n
He stresses, in the same breath, that approval is not the same as a guarantee that M\u00e1ni will eventually be launched: The project must go through a series of technical reviews, and uncertainties still remain that could cause delays. In the worst case, the mission could be altered or cancelled altogether.<\/p>\n
But with ESA\u2019s approval, the mission is no longer competing with other proposals, and the work now continues in the phase where the satellite will gradually be further developed ahead of construction and testing.<\/p>\n
\u00bbThis marks the real beginning of our mission to the Moon,\u00ab says Jens Frydenvang.<\/p>\n
Simple is best<\/h3>\n
When a lunar landing fails, it\u2019s often due to something trivial. A US lander toppled over earlier this year, and ended up on its side. This meant the solar panels didn\u2019t get light, and when the batteries ran out, the mission was effectively over.<\/p>\n
These are the kinds of risks that M\u00e1ni is intended to help reduce by providing a better picture of the terrain and the uncertainties in selected areas.<\/p>\n
But according to Jens Frydenvang, finding safe landing sites on the Moon is not just about mapping the terrain \u2014 it\u2019s also about understanding the limitations of current data. There are detailed images of large parts of the lunar surface nowadays, but they don\u2019t necessarily provide enough insight into how risky it is to land in a specific spot.
\n
\n\u00bbWhat matters is not just whether an area looks flat, but how confident we are in that assessment. That\u2019s the crucial information that\u2019s absent, but necessary, if we want to land safely,\u00ab he says when the University Post meets him in his office at UCPH.<\/p>\nThe M\u00e1ni mission will therefore combine measurements of topography with statistical risk estimates. The aim is to provide space agencies and mission planners with a more solid foundation for selecting landing sites \u2014 for both crewed and uncrewed missions.<\/p>\n
At the heart of the mission is a method developed by the research community around the Niels Bohr Institute at UCPH. By combining images of the same area taken from different angles and under different lighting conditions, it\u2019s possible to reconstruct the topography while also gaining insight into the properties of the surface.<\/p>\n
The mission has deliberately been kept simple. The telescope is the satellite\u2019s only primary scientific instrument, and according to the head of the project, they have deliberately kept the ambitions modest.<\/p>\n
\u00bbWe\u2019ve been careful not to overload the mission with too many instruments. The more complex it gets, the greater the risk of something going wrong \u2014 and the less time we might have to actually map as much of the Moon\u2019s surface as possible with our main instrument,\u00ab says Jens Frydenvang.
\n
\nThe satellite is scheduled to orbit the Moon for three years and will scan the Moon in its entirety during that time. But the mission\u2019s main purpose is to map out potential landing sites for US space agency NASA\u2019s upcoming crewed Artemis missions and ESA\u2019s uncrewed lunar landers, which will deliver equipment near the Moon\u2019s south pole.<\/p>\nThe southern focus is due to both technical and resource-related reasons. Most places on the Moon alternate between long periods of light and darkness, but at the poles, it is possible to find elevations with near-constant sunlight because the sun hovers low over the horizon.<\/p>\n
At the same time, there are craters near the poles that never have sunlight. These permanently shadowed regions are ideal places to search for ice, which could one day be used as a resource \u2014 to support longer stays and produce fuel.<\/p>\n
Danish hardware<\/h3>\n
While UCPH is responsible for the scientific part of the mission and main leadership, the Danish satellite manufacturer Space Inventor is building the satellite itself. According to Chief Technology Officer Peter Davidsen, this is the largest satellite the company \u2014 and Denmark \u2014 has built to date.<\/p>\n
Although the satellite is being assembled in Denmark, M\u00e1ni is not a national project. According to Peter Davidsen, several subsystems are being supplied by European partners via the ESA collaboration.<\/p>\n
You need to be absolutely sure what you want the satellite to do \u2014 long before it does it<\/p>\n
Peter Davidsen, CTO at Space Inventor<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The satellite is roughly 80 by 80 by 80 centimetres and weighs around 210 kilos. It is significantly larger and more complex than the small satellites that Space Inventor usually specialises in.<\/p>\n
\u00bbIt\u2019s a different kind of task than what we\u2019re used to. The requirements for robustness and operations are much higher when you\u2019re operating in lunar orbit,\u00ab says Peter Davidsen.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest challenges is navigation. Unlike satellites orbiting the Earth, M\u00e1ni cannot use GPS, and all orbital positioning must rely on more indirect methods.<\/p>\n
\u00bbYou get much less feedback, and there\u2019s no way to quickly correct things if something doesn\u2019t go according to plan,\u00ab says the CTO.<\/p>\n
Critical phases<\/h3>\n
Communication between the satellite and Earth is also limited. The satellite cannot conduct observations and transmit data back at the same time, which means operations require extensive planning.<\/p>\n
\u00bbMany commands are queued up weeks in advance. This means you have to be absolutely sure what you want the satellite to do \u2014 long before it does it,\u00ab says Peter Davidsen.<\/p>\n
The journey to the Moon and the subsequent manoeuvres in lunar orbit involve several critical phases where there is no margin for error.<\/p>\n
\u00bbThis isn\u2019t routine. A lot of things need to work correctly over a long period of time with no option to intervene,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n
For the University of Copenhagen, the M\u00e1ni mission marks the first time the university takes on the role of mission leader in an international space project. That comes with responsibilities that go beyond just the scientific.<\/p>\n
\u00bbLeading a mission isn\u2019t just about research. It\u2019s also about coordination, setting priorities, and getting multiple stakeholders to work in the same direction,\u00ab says Jens Frydenvang.<\/p>\n
This article was first written in Danish and published on 17 December. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/em>
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full-scale model of M\u00e1ni. The actual satellite will be built in the run-up to the 2029 launch."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"Space journey","text":"This is a story about what will follow","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":true,"contributors":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>The Moon has been the ultimate goal of space exploration for decades. First as a dream, later as a technological achievement.<\/p>\n<p>But one issue, above all, continues to cause problems: Where can you land without courting disaster?<\/p>\n<p>This sets the stage for Denmark\u2019s first lunar mission.<\/p>\n<p>In 2029, the Danish-led satellite M\u00e1ni \u2014 named after the Old Norse word for our celestial companion \u2014 is scheduled to orbit the Moon and map out safe landing sites. The mission is led from the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) by Associate Professor Jens Frydenvang and is the result of a collaboration between Danish and international universities, as well as private corporations via the European Space Agency, ESA.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>This marks the real beginning of our mission to the Moon<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">Jens Frydenvang, associate professor at UCPH and leader of the M\u00e1ni mission<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Danish government has earmarked DKK 125\u2013130 million for the project, with the total budget of around EUR 50 million being co-financed with other European countries.<\/p>\n<p>The mission got the green light on 16 December from ESA to proceed to the next phase of development.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIt was a huge relief when we got the news,\u00ab says Jens Frydenvang.<\/p>\n<p>He stresses, in the same breath, that approval is not the same as a guarantee that M\u00e1ni will eventually be launched: The project must go through a series of technical reviews, and uncertainties still remain that could cause delays. In the worst case, the mission could be altered or cancelled altogether.<\/p>\n<p>But with ESA\u2019s approval, the mission is no longer competing with other proposals, and the work now continues in the phase where the satellite will gradually be further developed ahead of construction and testing.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThis marks the real beginning of our mission to the Moon,\u00ab says Jens Frydenvang.<\/p>\n<h3>Simple is best<\/h3>\n<p>When a lunar landing fails, it\u2019s often due to something trivial. A US lander toppled over earlier this year, and ended up on its side. This meant the solar panels didn\u2019t get light, and when the batteries ran out, the mission was effectively over.<\/p>\n<p>These are the kinds of risks that M\u00e1ni is intended to help reduce by providing a better picture of the terrain and the uncertainties in selected areas.<\/p>\n<p>But according to Jens Frydenvang, finding safe landing sites on the Moon is not just about mapping the terrain \u2014 it\u2019s also about understanding the limitations of current data. There are detailed images of large parts of the lunar surface nowadays, but they don\u2019t necessarily provide enough insight into how risky it is to land in a specific spot.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Quote","quote":"We\u2019ve been careful not to overload the mission with too many instruments. The more complex it gets, the greater the risk of something going wrong.","quotee":"Jens Frydenvang, associate professor at UCPH and head of the Moon mission.","style":"extended"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>\u00bbWhat matters is not just whether an area looks flat, but how confident we are in that assessment. That\u2019s the crucial information that\u2019s absent, but necessary, if we want to land safely,\u00ab he says when the University Post meets him in his office at UCPH.<\/p>\n<p>The M\u00e1ni mission will therefore combine measurements of topography with statistical risk estimates. The aim is to provide space agencies and mission planners with a more solid foundation for selecting landing sites \u2014 for both crewed and uncrewed missions.<\/p>\n<p>At the heart of the mission is a method developed by the research community around the Niels Bohr Institute at UCPH. By combining images of the same area taken from different angles and under different lighting conditions, it\u2019s possible to reconstruct the topography while also gaining insight into the properties of the surface.<\/p>\n<p>The mission has deliberately been kept simple. The telescope is the satellite\u2019s only primary scientific instrument, and according to the head of the project, they have deliberately kept the ambitions modest.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWe\u2019ve been careful not to overload the mission with too many instruments. The more complex it gets, the greater the risk of something going wrong \u2014 and the less time we might have to actually map as much of the Moon\u2019s surface as possible with our main instrument,\u00ab says Jens Frydenvang.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Image","image":{"ID":185784,"id":185784,"title":"JensFrydenlund","filename":"jensfrydenlund-scaled.jpg","filesize":597074,"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/jensfrydenlund-scaled.jpg","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/ku-leder-danmarks-foerste-maanemission\/jensfrydenlund\/","alt":"","author":"106","description":"","caption":"","name":"jensfrydenlund","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":185783,"date":"2025-12-17 08:56:38","modified":"2025-12-17 08:56:52","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1707,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/jensfrydenlund-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/jensfrydenlund-480x320.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":320,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/jensfrydenlund-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/jensfrydenlund-1280x853.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":853,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/jensfrydenlund-1536x1024.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/jensfrydenlund-2048x1365.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1365,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/jensfrydenlund-290x193.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":193,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/jensfrydenlund-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/jensfrydenlund-700x467.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":467,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/jensfrydenlund-990x660.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":660}},"style":"narrow","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"\u00bbLeading a mission isn\u2019t just about research. It\u2019s also about coordination, setting priorities, and getting multiple stakeholders to work in the same direction,\u00ab says Jens Frydenvang."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>The satellite is scheduled to orbit the Moon for three years and will scan the Moon in its entirety during that time. But the mission\u2019s main purpose is to map out potential landing sites for US space agency NASA\u2019s upcoming crewed Artemis missions and ESA\u2019s uncrewed lunar landers, which will deliver equipment near the Moon\u2019s south pole.<\/p>\n<p>The southern focus is due to both technical and resource-related reasons. Most places on the Moon alternate between long periods of light and darkness, but at the poles, it is possible to find elevations with near-constant sunlight because the sun hovers low over the horizon.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, there are craters near the poles that never have sunlight. These permanently shadowed regions are ideal places to search for ice, which could one day be used as a resource \u2014 to support longer stays and produce fuel.<\/p>\n<h3>Danish hardware<\/h3>\n<p>While UCPH is responsible for the scientific part of the mission and main leadership, the Danish satellite manufacturer Space Inventor is building the satellite itself. According to Chief Technology Officer Peter Davidsen, this is the largest satellite the company \u2014 and Denmark \u2014 has built to date.<\/p>\n<p>Although the satellite is being assembled in Denmark, M\u00e1ni is not a national project. According to Peter Davidsen, several subsystems are being supplied by European partners via the ESA collaboration.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>You need to be absolutely sure what you want the satellite to do \u2014 long before it does it<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">Peter Davidsen, CTO at Space Inventor<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The satellite is roughly 80 by 80 by 80 centimetres and weighs around 210 kilos. It is significantly larger and more complex than the small satellites that Space Inventor usually specialises in.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIt\u2019s a different kind of task than what we\u2019re used to. The requirements for robustness and operations are much higher when you\u2019re operating in lunar orbit,\u00ab says Peter Davidsen.<\/p>\n<p>One of the biggest challenges is navigation. Unlike satellites orbiting the Earth, M\u00e1ni cannot use GPS, and all orbital positioning must rely on more indirect methods.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbYou get much less feedback, and there\u2019s no way to quickly correct things if something doesn\u2019t go according to plan,\u00ab says the CTO.<\/p>\n<h3>Critical phases<\/h3>\n<p>Communication between the satellite and Earth is also limited. The satellite cannot conduct observations and transmit data back at the same time, which means operations require extensive planning.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbMany commands are queued up weeks in advance. This means you have to be absolutely sure what you want the satellite to do \u2014 long before it does it,\u00ab says Peter Davidsen.<\/p>\n<p>The journey to the Moon and the subsequent manoeuvres in lunar orbit involve several critical phases where there is no margin for error.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThis isn\u2019t routine. A lot of things need to work correctly over a long period of time with no option to intervene,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>For the University of Copenhagen, the M\u00e1ni mission marks the first time the university takes on the role of mission leader in an international space project. That comes with responsibilities that go beyond just the scientific.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbLeading a mission isn\u2019t just about research. It\u2019s also about coordination, setting priorities, and getting multiple stakeholders to work in the same direction,\u00ab says Jens Frydenvang.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article was first written in Danish and published on 17 December. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/em><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with upcoming events and top University of Copenhagen stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":46,"name":"Science","slug":"science","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":46,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":831,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":14,"name":"Portrait Article","slug":"portrait_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":14,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":796,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":672,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251118110516_space_inventor-1280x853.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185837"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185837\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":185857,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185837\/revisions\/185857"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}