Astrolab Proposes Solar-Powered 5G Network for the Moon by 2028
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US space technology company Astrolab has proposed a network of solar-powered stations that would give equipment on the Moon electricity, Wi-Fi, 5G connectivity and computing services. The system is called LUMIS, short for Lunar Utility Module for Industrial Services. The company is targeting a first deployment in 2028, according to Notebookcheck.
The plan is still a proposal. Notebookcheck stressed that the capabilities described are not the performance of an operational lunar network.
What is LUMIS supposed to do?
In an announcement on Nov. 4, Astrolab described LUMIS as a set of stations that would power and connect machines working on the lunar surface. Each station would have vertical solar arrays, batteries, antennas and onboard computing equipment, Notebookcheck reported.
Astrolab says the design could run for more than 400 hours on internal power reserves while still supporting external equipment.
How much power would the stations produce?
The first demonstration nodes are designed to generate 2 kW, according to the announcement. Later versions could produce 20 kW each. Astrolab envisions interconnected installations delivering more than 100 kW.
Why would the stations be able to move?
Astrolab does not plan to leave the stations wherever a spacecraft happens to land. It intends to use its FLEX (Flexible Logistics and Exploration) robotic rovers to carry them to places with better sunlight and communications coverage.
Location matters a great deal near the Moon's south pole. According to the reports, moving equipment by just 50 meters could mean hundreds of additional hours of darkness, or could cut nearly continuous visibility of Earth to roughly half the time. Astrolab also proposes relay links spanning more than 100 kilometers to connect areas that cannot communicate directly with Earth.
What is the Lunar Operating System?
Astrolab's longer-term idea goes beyond individual stations. Through a proposed Lunar Operating System, or Lunar OS, it envisions a shared network that future Moon missions could use for power and communications. Under that model, each mission would not have to bring all of its own infrastructure.
When could it happen?
The company is targeting its first LUMIS deployment in 2028 aboard a planned commercial FLEX mission that would use SpaceX's Starship. Astrolab said it planned to show full-scale models at the Max Power showcase at Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 7-8.
What this means for future Moon missions
For now, nothing changes for anyone on Earth or on the Moon. LUMIS is a concept with a target date, not a working service, and the sources do not describe any completed hardware on the lunar surface.
If the plan went ahead, though, it would change how lunar missions are built. A rover working far from its landing site could draw on stations already in place instead of carrying every piece of power and communications equipment itself. Notebookcheck noted that future missions might then need something resembling a mobile network operator as much as another rover.
The ability to relocate stations is central to the pitch. Sunlight and line of sight to Earth vary sharply over short distances near the south pole, and Astrolab says moving the stations could address that.
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Around Prague, based on reporting by Notebookcheck, Mezha.net
