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NASA awarded Modulate Space Corporation a firm-fixed-price contract worth about $38 million to develop and demonstrate a 5G communications system with built-in Wi-Fi 6 for the lunar surface. The work includes a lab demonstration by January 2028 and a planned lunar-surface flight demonstration ending in December 2028; NASA has not specified the mission or launch details in its announcement.
NASA has awarded Modulate Space Corporation a firm-fixed-price contract worth about $38 million to develop elements of a 5G communications system with built-in Wi-Fi 6 for use on the Moon. The project is intended to advance a scalable, standards-based network for future lunar surface operations, with work scheduled to include a lab demonstration and a later demonstration on the lunar surface.
NASA said the work is organized into two primary areas: development and laboratory demonstration of a “5G Network-in-a-Box,” and development of an integrated 5G and Wi-Fi surface network for a flight demonstration on the Moon. The contract is being carried out for NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The agency described the schedule as accelerated but did not provide a more detailed explanation of that characterization.
The first performance period is scheduled to run from October 1, 2026, through January 31, 2028. The second is scheduled for November 30, 2026, through December 31, 2028. NASA said the effort will develop hardware, firmware and software, and that the planned demonstrations will help the agency examine the system’s architecture and operational performance.
NASA described the contract as technology development rather than a report of an already deployed lunar network. Its announcement gives the contract’s approximate value and work periods, but does not identify a specific mission, launch vehicle, lunar site or flight schedule for the surface demonstration. The stated end date is the end of the contract’s performance period, not confirmation that a demonstration has already been completed.
Building a Network for Lunar Operations
A communications network designed for the lunar surface could support connections among crew, equipment and other systems during future surface activities. NASA’s stated aim is a scalable, standards-based capability, suggesting the agency wants a system that can be developed further as mission needs and infrastructure change. The announcement does not detail which users or applications the first demonstration will support.
The combination of 5G and Wi-Fi 6 is central to the contracted design, but NASA has not published technical specifications or performance targets in this release. The demonstrations are intended to give NASA information about architecture and operational performance before the technology is considered for broader use. That makes the award a development step, not evidence that a complete lunar communications service is ready for operational missions.
The contract also gives NASA a defined period to evaluate multiple components—hardware, firmware and software—rather than focusing only on a radio or network concept. The value of the effort for future missions will depend on what the demonstrations show, how the system performs in lunar conditions and whether it can be integrated with mission infrastructure. Those results are not yet available.
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Two Demonstrations Through 2028
NASA’s September 30, 2026, contract release identifies the work as the 5G System and Lunar Surface Communications Evaluation and Radio Propagation Measurements contract. It names Modulate Space Corporation as the awardee and lists the overall value as approximately $38 million. NASA says the effort is for its Glenn Research Center, which is based in Cleveland.
The schedule separates the work into a lab stage and a planned surface flight demonstration. The Network-in-a-Box lab work begins October 1, while the integrated lunar 5G and Wi-Fi network performance period begins November 30. Both are scheduled to extend into 2028, with the flight-demonstration period ending December 31. The announcement does not say when the system would travel to the Moon or identify a mission that will carry it.
NASA says the project is intended to provide flexibility to evolve the technology for future lunar surface communications. That wording describes the agency’s purpose for the contract; it does not establish a final system design or a commitment to deploy this particular network on a specific mission.
Mission and Network Details Pending
NASA’s release does not name the lunar mission or launch date for the flight demonstration, specify where on the Moon it would take place, or say whether the demonstration is tied to a particular planned landing. It also does not provide technical details such as network coverage, data rates, equipment configuration, compatibility requirements or performance criteria.
The announcement does not explain the meaning of “Moon Base” as a formal program or identify a schedule for operational deployment. It gives planned performance periods, but those dates do not confirm that each milestone will be achieved on schedule. NASA has not yet released demonstration results, and no independent performance assessment is included in the contract announcement.
Contract Work Starts in October
According to NASA’s schedule, the first performance period starts October 1, 2026, with the lab demonstration planned to continue through January 31, 2028. The integrated lunar network work has a scheduled period beginning November 30, 2026, and ending December 31, 2028. NASA has not announced interim milestones or public dates for test results.
The next substantive updates are likely to clarify the system design, demonstration arrangements and how NASA will judge performance. Until the agency or contractor provides those details, the confirmed development is the contract award and its stated scope and schedule—not a completed lunar network or a confirmed mission deployment.
Key Questions
Who received NASA’s lunar 5G contract?
Modulate Space Corporation received the firm-fixed-price contract, which NASA says is being carried out for its Glenn Research Center.
How much is the contract worth?
NASA lists the contract’s value as approximately $38 million.
What technology will the company develop?
The contracted work covers elements of a 5G communications system with built-in Wi-Fi 6, including hardware, firmware and software for a lab demonstration and a planned lunar-surface flight demonstration.
When are the demonstrations scheduled?
The Network-in-a-Box development and lab demonstration period is scheduled for October 1, 2026, through January 31, 2028. The integrated lunar network and surface flight demonstration period is scheduled for November 30, 2026, through December 31, 2028.
Has NASA said which mission will carry the system to the Moon?
No mission is named in NASA’s announcement. The agency has not provided a launch date, lunar location or other flight-demonstration details in the release.
Source: primary
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