CesiumAstro to Power Lunar Navigation With NASA Contract for LunaNet Technology
29 Julio 2024 - 6:00AM
Business Wire
- CesiumAstro lands NASA contract to develop critical navigation
technology for lunar missions.
- The company will deliver advanced radio units compatible with
NASA’s LunaNet standard.
- LunaNet, like GPS on Earth, will provide communication and
navigation for future Moon missions.
- CesiumAstro’s technology will enable precise lunar navigation,
crucial for safe and efficient exploration.
- The project supports NASA’s Artemis program goals of returning
humans to the Moon.
CesiumAstro, a leader in space communications technology, today
announced it has been awarded a contract by NASA’s Marshall Space
Flight Center (MSFC) to develop critical navigation technology for
future lunar missions. The contract tasks CesiumAstro with
delivering advanced radio units compatible with NASA’s LunaNet
Augmented Forward Signal (AFS) standard to support ground testing
of future surface navigation networks. AFS, a special signal system
that helps spacecraft find their way around, aims to provide
communication and navigation services for missions on and around
the Moon, similar to how GPS operates on Earth.
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Artist’s concept of a future lunar base.
The image depicts astronauts and infrastructure on the Moon's
surface, illustrating the critical role of advanced navigation and
communication systems. Image credit: CesiumAstro
“This contract and technology represent the next step in our
support of lunar exploration. Our company’s advanced communication
systems are uniquely positioned to tackle the challenges of precise
lunar navigation,” said Shey Sabripour, Founder and CEO of
CesiumAstro. “By developing AFS-compatible hardware and software,
we enable the fielding of critical infrastructure necessary for the
success of Artemis missions and beyond.”
Key aspects of the project include:
- Developing hardware capable of transmitting and receiving
LunaNet AFS
- Implementing navigation signal generation based on GPS
standards
- Enabling high-precision phase measurements for lunar ranging
applications
- Ensuring compatibility with S-band frequencies specified for
LunaNet
Leveraging their proven expertise in space communication
systems, CesiumAstro expects to deliver the radio units to NASA
within one year. The company eagerly anticipates supporting future
lunar missions with its LunaNet AFS-compatible hardware, software,
and waveforms.
About CesiumAstro
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in Colorado,
California, and the United Kingdom, CesiumAstro builds
high-throughput, software-defined phased array communications
payloads for airborne and space platforms, including satellites,
missiles, UASs, and more. CesiumAstro’s full-stack, multi-mission
hardware and software solutions enable a range of commercial,
government, and defense objectives. CesiumAstro provides full
in-house design, manufacturing, and testing capabilities based on
the ISO AS9100 standard. To learn more, visit cesiumastro.com.
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Aimée Ahiers, media@cesiumastro.com