The European Space Agency has announced Lunar X-view, a public competition to develop algorithms that can identify a rover’s position from a panoramic image and a map taken from orbit. The challenge launches on 1 November.
The lost rover is a scenario, not a real spacecraft awaiting rescue. The aim is to advance autonomous navigation so future vehicles can explore without depending on constant positioning assistance from Earth.
ESA’s Advanced Concepts Team is running the competition with partners including Politecnico di Milano, the Institute of Science Tokyo and the University of Adelaide. Participation is free; datasets and rules are due on the Kelvins platform at launch.
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Original summary based on the sources above, checked for the October 25, 2026 edition. Reference dates are shown separately from the edition date.