NASA has big dreams of setting up a permanent human presence on the moon.
Currently, astronauts need to be in direct line of sight with Earth to make phone calls home.
But that's about to change.
To overcome this limitation, NASA is working on the Near Space Network.
They’re ready to invest significant amounts of money into private companies to ensure that continuous communication with the moon becomes a reality.
Recently, NASA took a major step forward by awarding Intuitive Machines a contract to build and deploy a satellite constellation.
This network will provide navigation and communication services for future lunar missions.
Intuitive Machines, based in Houston, made headlines earlier this year by achieving the first private moon landing.
Although the mission was cut short when the lander tipped over on a rock, it still marked a significant milestone.
The company, which also offers a moon rideshare service, currently faces limitations in transmitting data only when in direct line of sight with Earth.
The new task order contract for the Lunar Relay could be worth up to $4.82 billion.
However, this doesn’t guarantee that Intuitive Machines will receive that full amount over the five-year period.
According to regulatory filings, the contract ensures a minimum of $150 million, with an option to extend for another five years.
Despite the base amount, the total cost for the lunar satellite constellation and its associated services is expected to exceed the initial guarantee.
The planned satellite relays, reaching from geosynchronous orbit to near the moon, are crucial for NASA's goal of landing astronauts on the moon’s south pole before the decade’s end.
This area has limited landing opportunities that can communicate directly with Earth.
Beyond crewed missions, the lunar relay will also support uncrewed missions by enabling remote or autonomous rover operations, providing navigation services, and improving data transmission rates for lunar payloads.
This new infrastructure will be a game-changer not just for NASA but for private companies as well.
Intuitive Machines, which went public last year, heavily relies on government contracts for its revenue.
The company’s work includes several key contracts with NASA, such as lunar lander services, engineering services, and designing a next-generation lunar rover. In the second quarter of this year, Intuitive Machines saw its revenue soar to $41.4 million, a 130% increase from the previous year.
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