Harnessing nanosatellite technology for lunar infrastructure

How can nanosatellites help advance lunar exploration and settlement? This is what a recent study presented at the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference hopes to address as a team of researchers from Grahaa Space in India investigated the pros, cons, and applications for using nanosatellites on the moon. This study has the potential to help scientists, engineers, mission planners, and future lunar astronauts develop and test new technologies for advancing lunar exploration, and possibly beyond the moon.

For the study, the researchers discussed how nanosatellites in lunar orbit could provide a myriad of applications, including mapping, navigation, lunar resources, Earth–moon and inter-settlement communications, lunar weather, human settlements, scientific research, AI and machine learning, and future system expansion. The researchers argue that nanosatellites provide a cheaper and more efficient method for conducting future lunar exploration activities, for both scientific and human exploration purposes.

Nanosatellites are much smaller than traditional satellites with average measurements of 10 x 10 x 10 centimeters (3.9 x 3.9 x 3.9 inches) and often weigh between 1 to 10 kilograms (2.2 to 22 pounds). The most common type of nanosatellite is a CubeSat and have already been used for commercial and scientific purposes orbiting Earth and the moon. A commercial example includes Planet Labs while NASA has used a CubeSat for its LunaH-Map mission in 2022.

The study concluded by stating, “The potential applications of nanosatellite technology for lunar exploration and settlement represent a paradigm shift in our approach to space exploration. By leveraging the advantages of small, cost-effective, and highly capable satellite systems, we can overcome many of the challenges associated with establishing a permanent human presence on the moon.”

This study comes as several private space companies have teamed up with NASA as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, including Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, Blue Origin, Dynetics, SpaceX, and Astrobotic, and more. Each of these companies are currently working to establish a lunar infrastructure by developing landers, rovers (robotic- and human-driven), resource mining technologies, and human landers.

Of those companies, Firefly Aerospace is the only one to successfully land a spacecraft on the lunar surface, which it accomplished earlier this year. While Intuitive Machines have launched two landers to the lunar surface, both ended in failure after tipping over upon landing, with the first lander coming in too fast and breaking off one of its legs and the second lander partially touching down in a crater and subsequently tipped over.

Along with CLPS, NASA is also preparing to land humans on the moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972 with its Artemis program, which is slated to land the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface. Therefore, establishing critical technologies that could be used to help future astronauts achieve mission objectives and a permanent human presence on the lunar surface, resulting in developing critical technologies for an eventual human mission to Mars, as outlined in NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture.

NASA is targeting the lunar south pole for the Artemis program due to its various locations of water ice in deep craters, known as the permanently shadowed region (PSR). However, communications from the south polar region are difficult due to the reduced line-of-sight that the dayside of the moon constantly has towards Earth since the moon and Earth are tidally locked. Therefore, establishing seamless communications and locating critical resources for human settlements using nanosatellites could prove useful if humanity wishes to establish a long-term presence on the moon, and eventually on to Mars.