The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has embarked on an ambitious endeavor to lay the groundwork for a prosperous lunar economy within the next decade. The 10-Year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) capability study aims to unite what the agency perceives as isolated efforts within the scientific and commercial sectors, fostering a collaborative environment that will drive innovation and expedite the establishment of a self-sustaining lunar infrastructure.
A Paradigm Shift in Lunar Exploration
Michael Nayak, program manager in DARPA’s Strategic Technology Office, emphasizes the transformative potential of LunA-10, stating, “A large paradigm shift is coming in the next 10 years for the lunar economy.” The study seeks to identify companies with technically rigorous business plans and promote collaborative innovation between them, ultimately leading to the development of commercially viable services on the moon by around 2035.
This timeline coincides with NASA’s current Artemis program, which includes plans for a space station in cislunar orbit, an outpost at the moon’s south pole, and expeditions across the lunar surface. The anticipated growth in commercial lunar enterprises, combined with the scope of exploration, will require a sturdy and scalable infrastructure, which DARPA hopes to address through LunA-10.
Focusing on Multi-Service Infrastructure
LunA-10 will focus exclusively on “multi-service” infrastructure, where a single node could perform multiple functions. Power transference and data communication will be key focuses of the study, with the combination of these technologies being a priority. Nayak explains, “Imagine a wireless power station that can also provide comms and navigation in its beam.”
By fusing power beaming, communications, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) capabilities onto a single node, LunA-10 aims to optimize lunar architecture and foster a vibrant translunar economy. This approach will bring together companies from the commercial space industry that are individually making significant strides in their respective fields.
Diverse Range of Participants
DARPA has selected 14 visionary companies to participate in the LunA-10 study, representing a mix of domestic and international entities. These companies include:
- Blue Origin
- CisLunar Industries
- Crescent Space Services LLC
- Fibertek, Inc.
- Firefly Aerospace
- GITAI
- Helios
- Honeybee Robotics
- ICON
- Nokia of America
- Northrop Grumman
- Redwire Corporation
- Sierra Space
- SpaceX
Each company brings unique expertise and innovative ideas to the table, all centered around the common goal of creating a self-sustaining, monetizable, commercially owned-and-operated lunar infrastructure.
Collaborative Efforts and Contributions
Over the seven-month study period, the selected companies will collaborate to design integrated system-level solutions spanning key lunar services. These services include lunar power, mining, and commercial in-situ resource utilization, communications, navigation, and timing, transit, mobility, and logistics, as well as construction and robotics.
Several companies have already disclosed their intended contributions to the LunA-10 study. Redwire Corporation will focus on providing critical services to lunar assets from cislunar space, emphasizing high-speed communications and PNT. CisLunar Industries, in collaboration with industry experts, aims to bring terrestrial mining and extraction knowledge to complement its expertise.
Firefly Aerospace plans to contribute a framework for an aggregated hub of on-orbit spacecraft, offering on-demand services to both visiting and dispersed spacecraft across cislunar space. Sierra Space aims to integrate oxygen extraction, electrical storage, and hydrogen-oxygen engine technology into a commercial lunar infrastructure concept.
The entire consortium has openly shared their work at the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium (LSIC) Spring Meeting in April 2024. The final report on the LunA-10 study is expected to be shared with the lunar community in June 2024.
DARPA’s Legacy in Space Technology
DARPA’s involvement in the LunA-10 study is a continuation of its impressive 65-year legacy in advancing space technology research and development (R&D). The agency has played pivotal roles in historical milestones, including the Saturn V rocket technology that transported humans to the Moon for the first time.
By de-risking technologies necessary to civil space and emphasizing U.S. space leadership, LunA-10 seeks to upend how the civil space community thinks about spurring widespread commercial activity on and around the moon. The study will not fund technology construction, lunar surface transportation, or integration with lunar delivery vehicles, and it is not intended to support human exploration or scientific experimentation without commercial value.
Paving the Way for a Spacefaring Future
The collaboration between government agencies and private entities through initiatives like LunA-10 paves the way for a spacefaring future where the Moon becomes a hub for commercial activity and scientific exploration. By establishing an integrated framework that fosters innovation and collaboration, DARPA aims to accelerate the development of a thriving lunar economy.
As the selected companies work together to design and optimize lunar infrastructure, they are laying the foundation for a new era of space exploration and commercialization. The LunA-10 study represents a significant step towards realizing the potential of the Moon as a stepping stone for further exploration and economic growth beyond Earth.