The International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2024 in Milan marked an important milestone for the Lunar Zebro project and the broader lunar research efforts at TU Delft. With more than 14,000 delegates and visitors and over 150 exhibitors from space agencies, companies, and research institutes worldwide, IAC once again proved to be the leading global platform for showcasing space innovation.
This year’s edition was particularly special for our team: the Lunar Zebro exhibition booth was awarded the “Best Innovative Booth” of the entire exhibition. Receiving this recognition among the world’s leading space organizations is a great honor and a strong endorsement of the innovation that drives Lunar Zebro.

Demonstrating Autonomous Lunar Exploration

At IAC 2024, our booth featured a dedicated live demo area (10 by 15 meter) where multiple Zebro rovers operated continuously throughout the conference. Within a defined arena equipped with deliberately placed obstacles, the rovers demonstrated their autonomous navigation capabilities in real time. Visitors could observe how the in-house developed autonomy software enables the rover to detect obstacles, plan a safe route, and navigate autonomously through challenging terrain. 

The rovers used in the demonstration are 3D-printed platforms developed to test, validate, and showcase the Lunar Zebro’s software stack and autonomy algorithms. In parallel, the space-grade version of the Zebro rover was displayed in a glass case at the Dutch Pavilion. Together, the live demo area and the static hardware display provided a combined view of the project’s software-driven autonomy and its space-qualified rover design. This work is carried out under the guidance of Raj, Director of AI for the Lunar Zebro project.The feedback received during the conference once again proved the value of exhibiting at IAC, which we have done consistently since 2017, using each edition as an opportunity to learn, refine, and improve. 

International Engagement and Recognition

During the conference, we were honored to welcome Mascha Baak, Consul General of the Netherlands in Italy, together with Vivian Dornseiffen, Economic Advisor at the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Italy, to our booth. Their visit provided an opportunity to present the Lunar Zebro project and to highlight its role within the Dutch lunar ecosystem. The Lunar Zebro represents one of the most prominent and widely recognized lunar science initiatives in the Netherlands and serves as TU Delft’s flagship contribution to lunar exploration and research activities.

The interaction emphasized the growing relevance of lunar exploration within institutional and international contexts, as well as the importance of collaboration between academia, government, and industry to drive progress in space technology.

Lunar Zebro within Program Moonshot

Lunar Zebro is a key platform within Program Moonshot, TU Delft’s initiative aimed at advancing science, technology, and societal solutions for future lunar missions. During IAC 2024, Program Moonshot was further highlighted through a presentation by Dr. Raj Thilak Rajan, who outlined the evolution of space exploration and TU Delft’s ongoing contributions to lunar research.

Current research topics within Program Moonshot include multi-agent systems, robotic swarming, autonomous sensing, radiation measurement, and robotic manipulation. These developments are integrated and tested on the Lunar Zebro platform — a micro-rover designed to perform complex tasks through autonomous and cooperative behavior.

Looking Ahead

Being recognized at IAC 2024 for innovation is a meaningful milestone for Lunar Zebro. It reflects years of steady development and confirms that our work is gaining visibility and recognition within the global space community.