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Astrolab has proposed LUMIS, a lunar network of solar-powered stations providing electricity, Wi-Fi, 5G and computing, with initial nodes generating 2 kW and a target first deployment in 2028.
US space technology company Astrolab has proposed LUMIS (Lunar Utility Module for Industrial Services), a network of solar-powered stations designed to provide electricity, Wi-Fi, 5G connectivity and computing services to equipment on the lunar surface.
According to Astrolab, initial demonstration nodes are designed to generate 2 kW. Future versions could produce 20 kW each, and interconnected stations could deliver more than 100 kW. The stations would include vertical solar arrays, batteries, antennas and onboard computing equipment. Astrolab says they could operate for more than 400 hours on internal power reserves while continuing to support external equipment.
Astrolab plans to use its FLEX (Flexible Logistics and Exploration) robotic rovers to move the stations to locations with better sunlight and communications coverage. Near the Moon’s south pole, moving equipment by just 50 metres could mean hundreds of additional hours of darkness or cut nearly continuous visibility of Earth to roughly half the time. The company proposes relay links spanning more than 100 kilometres to connect areas that cannot communicate directly with Earth.
Astrolab said it planned to display full-scale models at the Max Power showcase at Kennedy Space Center on 7 – 8 November. Through its proposed Lunar Operating System (Lunar OS), the company is targeting a first LUMIS deployment in 2028 aboard a planned commercial FLEX mission using SpaceX’s Starship.
These remain proposed capabilities, not the performance of an operational lunar network. At a separate panel discussion on lunar infrastructure, Dr. Manwei Chan, director of international and science development at Voyager Technologies, said power and communications are the two most important aspects of any mission. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter measured temperatures beyond negative 410 degrees Fahrenheit in the darkness of lunar craters.
Lunar missions face extreme cold and long nights, making shared power and communications infrastructure a potential foundation for a sustained presence on the Moon.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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