At UP.SUMMIT, company introduces LUNAR OS, an integrated suite of lunar mobility, power and communications products and services designed to reduce the cost and complexity of sustained operations on the Moon

Astrolab today introduced the Lunar Utility Module for Industrial Services (LUMIS), a lunar power, communications and data node designed to provide energy, connectivity, and data services to customers operating on the Moon. The announcement marks an expansion of Astrolab’s business beyond rovers and introduces its new positioning as “The Lunar Operations Company,” bringing together the surface mobility, power and connectivity needed for sustained human and robotic operations.

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An artist's rendering shows Astrolab's Lunar Utility Module for Industrial Services (LUMIS) alongside a person for scale. The solar-powered node is designed to provide energy, communications and data services to support sustained lunar operations. (Credit: Astrolab)

Astrolab also introduced its Lunar Operating System (LUNAR OS), an integrated suite of products and services designed to turn lunar missions into sustained operations. LUNAR OS brings together Astrolab’s FLEX family of rovers, designed to transport cargo and deploy infrastructure, with LUMIS nodes that provide power, communications and data services. By combining mobility and infrastructure into a coordinated system of utility services, Astrolab aims to simplify lunar logistics, reduce costs and enable customers to establish and expand their presence on the lunar surface. As lunar activity shifts from individual missions toward a sustained presence, customers can rely on these capabilities to conduct long-term operations on the Moon.

Astrolab founder and CEO Jaret Matthews is presenting the company’s expanded strategy at UP.SUMMIT, held as part of the MAX POWER activities at Kennedy Space Center. The company plans to display full-scale models of its lunar rovers and LUMIS node during the public event later in the week.

A defining advantage of Astrolab’s approach is its ability to position infrastructure at optimal locations after delivery to the lunar surface. Its FLEX rover is designed to transport payloads tens of kilometers across the lunar surface, allowing LUMIS nodes to be placed where sunlight and communications coverage are most favorable, rather than being restricted to where a lander can safely touch down. Using a rover to transport multiple nodes rather than incorporating mobility into each node reduces redundant mass and allows more infrastructure to be delivered with fewer lunar flights.

Initial LUMIS technology demonstration nodes will be designed to generate 2 kW of power, with future nodes capable of generating 20 kW each as lunar infrastructure expands. Multiple LUMIS nodes can be delivered on a cargo lander mission, then transported, positioned and linked together by a single FLEX rover. An interconnected grid of LUMIS nodes could deliver more than 100 kW of power before anticipated nuclear power systems become available, without the regulatory and safety requirements associated with nuclear systems. Astrolab expects this integrated approach to simplify logistics and reduce customers’ costs.

Delivering power and connectivity where they work best

Like wireless communications networks on Earth, a lunar communications network depends on placing equipment at locations with favorable lines of sight to the surrounding area. Near the Moon’s south pole, even slight differences in terrain can determine how long solar equipment remains in darkness and whether it can maintain a direct view of Earth. Moving infrastructure just 50 meters can mean hundreds of hours of additional darkness or reduce nearly continuous visibility of Earth to roughly half the time. Landing sites, by contrast, must be selected for safe slopes, terrain, and hazard clearance. Astrolab’s rovers allow these two decisions to be made separately.

The Shackleton–de Gerlache connecting ridge, near the Moon’s south pole, is a key area of interest for both human and robotic operations. However, its limited visibility of Earth presents communications challenges. This location illustrates where a LUMIS network could bridge the communications gap, enable early exploration and later support continuous operations. LUMIS nodes deployed by FLEX at elevated sites on Malapert Massif or Mons Mouton could maintain near-continuous communications with Earth while retaining line of sight to the connecting ridge more than 100 kilometers away. LUMIS nodes placed on the connecting ridge could connect Earth through backhaul links between nodes and provide Wi-Fi and 5G communications for local operations. This approach would provide communications access to areas of the Moon with limited or no direct connectivity to Earth and complement planned orbital communications networks once deployed.

Lunar utilities: Energy, communications and data services

LUMIS is being developed with a vertical solar array tower, batteries, transceivers, surface wireless power transfer capabilities and onboard edge computing. The node is designed to provide high-bandwidth direct-to-Earth communications, with local Wi-Fi and 5G connectivity for surface equipment, and long-range backhaul links between LUMIS installations in different areas of operation.

LUMIS is designed to support a wide range of operations. Potential applications include recharging visiting rovers while uploading scientific data for storage and transmission to Earth; powering energy-intensive in-situ resource utilization equipment supplied with feedstock by FLEX; and supporting coordinated operations of lunar assets through a reliable local wireless communication network. The node is designed with internal power reserves sufficient to operate for more than 400 hours while continuing to support external payloads. Astrolab envisions offering mobility, power, and connectivity as an integrated service through LUNAR OS. Customers would pay for access and usage rather than build and operate their own infrastructure. The service would use shared infrastructure for smaller customers and dedicated equipment for larger requirements.

Astrolab is targeting its first LUMIS deployment in 2028 as part of its previously announced commercial FLEX mission aboard SpaceX’s Starship.

Expanding to support lunar operations

In 2027, Astrolab plans to relocate from Hawthorne, Calif., to a custom-built facility in Torrance, Calif., approximately four times the size of its current location. The facility will accommodate manufacturing, engineering, testing, research and development, and mission control. Astrolab will also use its facility at the Texas Space Institute in Houston to advance LUMIS testing in a lunar analog environment.

The expansion follows Astrolab’s selection to develop a crewed lunar rover for NASA’s Artemis program. Separately, Astrolab is preparing its first lunar rover, the FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform (FLIP), for launch aboard Voyager Technologies’ Griffin-1 lander no earlier than January 2027 as part of a NASA Moon Base mission to the south pole region.

Visitors to the UP.SUMMIT public showcase during MAX POWER can see full-scale models of Astrolab’s lunar rovers and the new LUMIS node Nov. 7-8 inside the NASA hangar at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

About Astrolab

Astrolab – The Lunar Operations Company – designs and builds the hardware and systems to support sustained human and robotic operations on the Moon. Its Lunar Operating System (LUNAR OS) integrates surface mobility, power generation and communications networks into a suite of products and services designed to reduce the cost and complexity of lunar operations. Astrolab’s FLEX family of rovers is designed to transport astronauts, cargo and equipment and deploy infrastructure across the lunar surface. Selected by NASA to develop a crewed lunar rover for the Artemis program, Astrolab is also preparing its first lunar mission with the FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform (FLIP) rover. With LUMIS, the company is expanding into utility services, providing power, communications, and data capabilities. Headquartered in Southern California, Astrolab is developing the infrastructure needed to support a growing lunar economy. Learn more at www.astrolab.space.

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Astrolab unveils LUMIS and LUNAR OS, expanding beyond lunar rovers to deliver the power, communications and mobility infrastructure needed for sustained operations on the Moon.