Astronomy Prints 🌌: A Wi-Fi contract for the moon

Monday, September 29, 2025

A Wi-Fi contract for the moon

09/29/2025

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Solstar wins NASA contract to develop lunar Wi-Fi systems

By Debra Werner

Solstar Space announced a NASA contract Sept. 29 to develop commercial Wi-Fi access points for the space agency's Artemis and Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) programs.

Under the $150,000 Small Business Innovation Research award, Solstar will spend six months creating preliminary designs for Wi-Fi access points for human landing systems, lunar rovers, instruments, payloads, sensors, spacesuits and tablet computers.

Eartheye to offer tasking of satellites looking up and down

Eartheye Space will begin offering self-service tasking of satellites looking into space in addition to sensors focused on Earth, the startup based in Singapore and Australia announced Sept. 29 at the International Astronautical Congress. By offering tasking of sensors focused on deep space as well as cameras designed for space domain and space situational awareness, Eartheye Space seeks to simplify access to imagery and information.

Galactic Energy secures $336 million, nears debut of new reusable and solid rockets

Beijing-based Galactic Energy has raised what appears to be China's largest disclosed round for a launch startup as it nears orbital test flights of new rockets. The company announced Series D financing of 2.4 billion yuan ($336 million), which will be used for the Pallas series of reusable liquid propellant launchers and the Ceres-2 solid rocket.

Blue Origin to increase New Shepard flight rate and consider new spaceports

Blue Origin plans to significantly increase the launch rate of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle to a weekly cadence in the coming years, and is weighing the addition of new spaceports. Speaking at the Global Spaceport Alliance's International Spaceport Forum Sept. 28, Phil Joyce, senior vice president for New Shepard at Blue Origin, said the company expects to increase its launch cadence as it adds vehicles to its fleet.

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