Bandung, IndonesiaSentinel.com — NASA is preparing to launch a groundbreaking lunar telecommunication project, aiming to establish a direct communication system between Earth and the Moon. The project, with an estimated budget of USD $4.82 billion, is part of NASA’s ambitious plan to create a permanent human habitat on the lunar surface.
The communication network, named the Near Space Network, will be developed in partnership with private company Intuitive Machines. NASA has awarded the company a contract to build and launch a constellation of satellites that will provide navigation and communication platforms for future lunar missions. The maximum allocated budget for this project is set at $4.82 billion.
Intuitive Machines is no stranger to lunar projects. The company successfully launched the first private lunar lander, although the mission was not entirely flawless, as the lander “stumbled” upon landing, causing it to tilt upon touchdown. Despite this, the company has continued to play a pivotal role in NASA’s lunar ambitions.
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The upcoming lunar telecommunication system is directly tied to NASA’s broader plan for transporting goods and humans to the Moon, with Intuitive Machines at the helm. The technology will involve creating a connectivity link between geosynchronous satellites in Earth’s orbit and satellites orbiting the Moon, a system NASA refers to as Lunar Relay.
The Lunar Relay system promises significant benefits for NASA’s future missions, especially its goal to land spacecraft at the Moon’s south pole. Unlike the side of the Moon that faces Earth, where communication signals are easily transmitted, the south pole presents significant challenges for continuous signal transmission. With a direct communication system that doesn’t rely on a straight line between Earth and the Moon, NASA will have more flexibility in determining landing sites at the lunar south pole.
Beyond aiding astronaut missions, the Lunar Relay system will also support unmanned operations, including autonomous rover explorations, advanced navigation systems, and enhanced data transmission from the Moon’s surface.
Intuitive Machines, a publicly traded aerospace company, is primarily funded through government contracts. In addition to its work on lunar landing systems, the company is also involved in developing lunar rovers and other robotic exploration technologies.
As NASA moves forward with its vision of establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon, projects like the Near Space Network and Lunar Relay represent critical steps toward enabling continuous communication, navigation, and exploration on our nearest celestial neighbor.
(Raidi/Agung)
