NASA Expands Lunar Communication Networks

On February 21, 2023, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center submitted a Request for Proposal for Near Space Network Services, laying the foundation for advanced lunar and interplanetary communication and navigation systems to assist in the NASA Artemis space infrastructure.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Campus

A Request for Proposal, or RFP, is a process run by NASA that allows companies or programs to pitch ideas to solve a certain problem or issue that NASA is looking to solve or approach. In this instance, NASA Goddard is looking at developing “Near Space Network Systems”. These network systems would work in tandem with the NASA Artemis program, signifying a lunar application for communication systems.

The RFP posted by NASA Goddard breaks down into two major subcategories, Earth to Space and Space to Earth communication networks. Earth to Space applications will primarily be utilized for commercial, establishing connections between ground stations and payloads and spacecraft. The Space to Ground communication system will consist of a series of relay communication satellites enabling navigation and communication coverage for spacecraft journeying to the moon and beyond. Both systems would be able to work from the surface of Earth to 2 million kilometers of altitude, which is nearly ten times the size of the Moon’s orbit. This range gives NASA and commercial space companies a significantly wider range of communications for missions to the moon and beyond.