NASA Backs Lunar Wi-Fi Project To Connect Astronauts and Rovers On the Moon (nerds.xyz)
- Reference: 0179596512
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/09/30/0312213/nasa-backs-lunar-wi-fi-project-to-connect-astronauts-and-rovers-on-the-moon
- Source link: https://nerds.xyz/2025/09/nasa-lunar-wifi-solstar-artemis/
> NASA has [2]awarded Solstar Space a $150,000 SBIR Phase I contract to develop a Lunar Wi-Fi Access Point (LWIFI-AP). The system is [3]designed to provide wireless connectivity for astronauts, rovers, and orbiting spacecraft as part of the Artemis and Commercial Lunar Payload Services programs. Solstar's goal is to build a space-rated, multi-band, multi-protocol access point that can survive radiation, extreme lunar temperatures, and other harsh conditions. NASA has identified Wi-Fi and 3GPP standards as core communication needs across mission systems ranging from the Human Landing System and Lunar Terrain Vehicle to the Lunar Gateway.
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> Although this is only an early-stage contract, Solstar's proposal addresses a clear gap in space-qualified networking hardware. The company says that just as Wi-Fi transformed daily life on Earth, it will be equally important for living and working on the Moon. If the project advances, astronauts could soon be relying on familiar wireless technology that has been adapted for one of the most challenging environments in existence.
[1] https://slashdot.org/~BrianFagioli
[2] https://www.prweb.com/releases/nasa-awards-solstar-space-sbir-contract-to-develop-lunar-wi-fi-system-302567781.html
[3] https://nerds.xyz/2025/09/nasa-lunar-wifi-solstar-artemis/
NASA... (Score:4, Funny)
"... We're not super sure we can make it back to the moon but by God we're going to have wifi if we do!"
Moon (Score:2)
Imagine being the first moon-resident and before any of that equipment arrives, you switch on your wifi and see a wireless SSID being broadcast...
Re: (Score:2)
> Wi-Fi, there is no such thing as wifi.
> [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Sadly, there IS such a thing as pedantry.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi
Re: (Score:2)
And the SSID is "FBI Surveillance Van"
Looking forward (Score:2)
I'm looking forward to the deluge of /. comments from ignorant armchair engineers griping "I can configure WiFi at my house for $100. Why do we need to spent 1000x to do the same damn thing on the Moon?!"
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, for what they're charging, they can afford to go the extra mile and have the wifi offer a default route to the internet!
3GPP? (Score:2)
Does someone have a space-rated cellphone?
Try WiMax (Score:2)
All that old Sprint equipment is probably sitting around somewhere, why not reuse it?
Re:Space qualified? (Score:5, Informative)
Being radiation hardened and able to operate in a vacuum where there is no air to assist with cooling. It may also need to deal with heating from direct sunlight.
It also needs to be extensively tested to make sure it doesn't interfere with any other equipment used on the same mission. The firmware might need to be validated to make sure it can't glitch and start transmitting on the wrong frequency, or above a certain power limit.
They will also want to characterize its performance and resilience to interference, and its power consumption. Many space systems are power constrained.
Re: (Score:2)
Yep.
"Surviving in space more than a few years" is basically one definition, which almost all consumer kit would fail.
Re: (Score:2)
> Being radiation hardened and able to operate in a vacuum where there is no air to assist with cooling. It may also need to deal with heating from direct sunlight.
Don't forget periods in complete darkness, plunging down to -133 C [-210 F].
You'll experience about 13 of these thermal cycles each year. Most equipment wouldn't survive one.
Re: (Score:3)
Are they expecting it to survive the lunar night? I think all the missions planned so far are just for daytime, with any equipment surviving the night as a mere bonus.
Not sure about the Chinese. They are planning a lunar base and because it's them it might actually happen, in which case surviving the night will be necessary unless they plan to replace it every time.
Re: (Score:2)
> Are they expecting it to survive the lunar night? I think all the missions planned so far are just for daytime, with any equipment surviving the night as a mere bonus.
I guess it depends on whose plans you are watching, and how likely you think they are to come to fruition. In the near-term, Artemis only has plans for flags-and-footprints missions: short stays during daytime. However, the eventual goal is lunar colonies, so dealing with lunar nighttime will have to be tackled eventually. Even before we get to permanent colonies, though, there are plans to explore in the south polar craters - spots that are perpetually shadowed and chilling at -250 C. That's not a ther
Re: (Score:2)
It think it really depends on China. If China go ahead with a base then the US will try to do one too. If China gets samples back from Mars first, the US will want boots up there. If China doesn't do those things, I imagine the US will lose interest pretty quickly again.
Re: (Score:1)
Strange. None of the cameras sent during the original Apollo mission were hardened at all. [1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDggkBUSZl8