Modulate Space wins $38 million NASA contract for lunar 5G network
NASA · Modulate Space Corporation
NASA awarded Modulate Space a roughly $38 million contract to develop a 5G and Wi-Fi 6 network for the lunar surface.
what happened
NASA's Glenn Research Center awarded Modulate Space Corporation a firm-fixed-price contract worth approximately $38 million, titled "5G System and Lunar Surface Communications Evaluation and Radio Propagation Measurements," per NASA's own press release. The work covers two phases: a 5G Network-in-a-Box development and lab demonstration running October 1, 2026 through January 31, 2028, and a lunar surface flight demonstration running November 30, 2026 through December 31, 2028, both building a standards-based 5G and Wi-Fi 6 network intended to support future Moon Base surface operations.
why it matters
NASA is pushing lunar surface communications toward terrestrial commercial standards (5G, Wi-Fi 6) rather than bespoke space-only protocols, which can lower equipment costs and widen the supplier base for vendors building lunar comms hardware. For ground-segment and comms suppliers eyeing Artemis-era lunar infrastructure, this is an early data point on how NASA plans to procure that capability.
for who
lunar ground-segment and comms vendors
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- NASA, Modulate Space Corporation
- Category
- procurement
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 5 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-09-30
- Published
- 2026-10-11 17:24 UTC