Building the lunar future.
Instinct is making the Moon the new LEO. Our small lunar lander is designed to be launched as a regular LEO rideshare, enabling higher mission cadence at a lower cost.
Key people at Instinct.
Instinct was founded in 2024 by Joaquim Dickson (Founder) and Ashwin Iyer (Founder) and Alex Pinel Neparidze (Founder).
Instinct was founded in 2024 by Joaquim Dickson (Founder) and Ashwin Iyer (Founder) and Alex Pinel Neparidze (Founder).
Key people at Instinct.
Instinct is a cutting-edge startup focused on building a lunar navigation satellite constellation that provides GPS-like services around the Moon. Their mission is to enable precise, reliable navigation for spacecraft landing on or orbiting the Moon by miniaturizing traditional GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) technology into cost-effective CubeSats. This innovation drastically reduces manufacturing and launch costs, making lunar navigation accessible and scalable. Instinct primarily serves commercial space companies, government agencies, and research institutions involved in lunar missions, addressing the critical problem of navigation in cislunar space where no GPS equivalent currently exists. Their technology aims to reduce mission failures and financial losses, supporting the rapidly growing lunar economy and future deep-space exploration efforts[1][3].
Founded in 2024 by a team of engineers with backgrounds in space science and engineering from institutions like University College London and Cambridge, Instinct emerged from the founders’ shared experience in rocketry and satellite missions, including work on NASA and ESA projects. The idea arose from recognizing the absence of a reliable navigation system on the Moon, which has led to over $350 million in losses in recent years. Early traction includes the development of their Baseline Orbital Ranging Device (BORD), a CubeSat technology demonstrator scheduled for Low Earth Orbit testing, and plans to launch their first four lunar satellites by the end of 2026 to cover the lunar south pole[3][5][4].
Instinct rides the emerging trend of lunar commercialization and deep-space exploration, where navigation is a critical bottleneck. The timing is crucial as the global space race intensifies, with hundreds of lunar missions planned, and the lack of a lunar GPS analogue threatens billions in potential losses. Instinct’s scalable, affordable navigation system aligns with market forces pushing for sustainable lunar infrastructure and supports the broader ecosystem by enabling safer, more efficient space operations. Their technology also has potential applications beyond the Moon, including Mars and other celestial bodies, positioning them as a foundational player in the future of space exploration[1][3].
Instinct is poised to become a key enabler of the lunar economy by delivering the first reliable GPS-like navigation system for the Moon. The next few years will be critical as they launch their initial satellites and expand coverage. Trends such as increased private sector involvement in space, government lunar initiatives, and advances in CubeSat technology will shape their growth. As their constellation matures, Instinct’s influence could extend to broader deep-space navigation, potentially becoming the backbone for multi-planetary navigation infrastructure. Their mission to build the lunar future directly addresses a vital gap in space exploration, promising to reduce risk and cost for all lunar stakeholders[1][3][4].
