Jena, 01.04.2026. The Jena-based space company Jena-Optronik is supplying central sensor technology for the international Artemis moon program. This is according to a current report by the industry portal „Table.Briefings“.
- Who: Jena-Optronik
- What: Delivery of the navigation core (strategic sensor technology)
- Project: Artemis moon mission
Thuringian Technology for the Return to the Moon
According to industry reports, the space company Jena-Optronik has secured a strategic key role in space exploration. The company is providing the so-called navigation core for the Artemis program. This program by the American space agency NASA, in which the European Space Agency ESA is also significantly involved, aims to return humans to the moon and establish a long-term base there.
For the highly complex flight maneuvers between Earth and the moon, precise positioning in open space is vital for survival. This is exactly where the technology from Jena comes into play.
Background: Jena-Optronik and the Optics Location
Jena-Optronik is a world-leading developer of optical instruments and sensors used in satellites and space probes. The company’s historical roots lie in the former space department of Carl Zeiss. Today, the company based in Jena-Göschwitz belongs to the aerospace group Airbus.
The fact that high-tech from Jena’s „Optical Valley“ is being used in major international projects like Artemis underscores the continued importance of Thüringen for the global space industry. Special products such as the so-called star sensors from Jena have been helping spacecraft to orient themselves with high precision in deep space based on star constellations for decades.
Source:
Strategic Sensor Technology: Jena‑Optronik supplies navigation core for Artemis
Transparency Note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.