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Goddard Engineering and Technology Directorate

Lunar Communications Relay and Navigation Systems (LCRNS)

Lunar relay supporting Artemis Moon missions. Credit: NASA/David Ryan
Lunar relay supporting Artemis Moon missions. Credit: NASA/David Ryan

Overview

NASA’s Lunar Communications Relay and Navigation Systems (LCRNS) project is an initiative aimed at enabling a robust communication and navigation infrastructure around the Moon.

LCRNS is verifying and validating commercial lunar relay services procured under NASA’s Near Space Network Services Request for Proposal. These lunar relay services will be deployed in an incremental fashion though an Initial Operating Capability, meaning it will support near-term objectives before being built upon to support future Artemis endeavors.

Establishing a network of communication relay satellites in lunar orbit will enable continuous and reliable communication between Earth and lunar missions, even in locations where the Earth is not directly visible from the Moon.

Reliable communications and navigation are essential for crewed missions, robotic missions, rovers, and infrastructure development on and around the Moon. The LCRNS project is a part of the Artemis Moon to Mars architecture documentation. Artemis, and its associated missions, aim to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustained lunar presence so that one day, NASA can bring humanity to Mars.

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