Gravitational wave technology spinoff aims for the moon

14 October 2024

Nikhef spinoff company Innoseis delivered prototypes of highly sensitive seismic sensors to Australia’s Fleet Space Technologies last August. That company will thoroughly test the sensors in preparation for a space mission to the moon. The purpose of this endeavour is to collect geological and seismic data from the lunar surface from 2026 onwards. This will help to better understand the lunar geology, and to prepare the way for exploration missions to celestial bodies even further away, for example Mars.

About the technology

Innoseis ST’s advanced micro-sensors were selected for this mission, because of their combination of accuracy, high sensitivity, small size and low power consumption. Their design emerged from the development of gravitational wave detectors at Nikhef, the National Institute for Subatomic Physics. It was then further developed for applications in various markets, including space and geophysical research.

About Innoseis

In 2013, Dr Mark Beker and Prof Dr Johannes van den Brand founded the spinoff company Innoseis. They conducted research on instruments needed for gravitational wave detectors, which could also be exploited in commercial applications. The first product was an efficient and lightweight wireless seismic sensor, which is now a market leader in the seismic isolation industry.

Read the full news release From the Netherlands, to the Moon. Innoseis Sensor Technologies is aiming to make its mark the Lunar surface on the Innoseis website.