NASA thinks the moon will soon have its own internet

It's been nearly 50 years since astronauts last set foot on the Moon as part of the Apollo program. Since then, space exploration has seen incredible technological developments and scientific breakthroughs with unmanned probes. Finally, humans will return to the lunar surface in 2024 as part of NASA's Artemis program.

However, before NASA can start flying people to our natural satellite, it has to build a network there. This will go beyond low Earth orbit and connect space to Earth in the form of an internet connection. NASA calls this network LunaNet.

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This is a massive network designed to provide connectivity and services for lunar missions. Proposals for an internet-like architecture were first proposed in 2019 to provide communications and navigation solutions for a constellation of small satellites around the moon. Experts came together to develop the concept, and now NASA teams are already hard at work turning the Lunar Net into a reality. The backbone of this "lunar internet" is the Delay/Disruption Tolerant Network (DTN). The DTN will ensure that data passes through the network and reaches its destination even if it encounters possible signal interruptions.

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Astronauts will be able to use LunarNet through many nodes and communicate with crews on and around the Moon in the same way we use Wi-Fi on Earth. In addition, missions using the network will be able to obtain position and time signals, allowing astronauts and rovers to navigate the rugged lunar terrain and return to their bases. LunarNet will also use space weather instruments to identify potentially dangerous solar activity, such as flares erupting from the Sun, and provide astronauts with immediate alerts of harsh radiation. These warnings will be comparable to the warnings we receive on our phones when we encounter hazardous weather. The architecture's capabilities will also include lunar search and rescue capabilities.

LunaNet science services will allow nodes to use their radio and infrared optical communication links to take measurements to help researchers on Earth better understand the Moon. For example, the nodes could allow baseline observations of our satellites to provide in-depth analysis of the lunar environment. Researchers can also use LunaNet's antennas to peer into deep space, searching for radio signals from distant celestial bodies. Overall, the architecture's capabilities will give scientists a new platform to test theories in space, allowing them to expand their scientific knowledge.