LEAP: Laser Extended Ad-Hoc Presence for Lunar Surface Communication

As many countries turn their focus back to the Moon to establish a sustained lunar presence, robust, reliable communication from the lunar surface to Earth will become critical. To enable the long-term success of a permanent lunar presence, communication systems should be able to adapt to the environment and threats by deploying and maintaining themselves. Such a system’s utility will additionally depend on its ability to inform end users and fill their essential needs, such as position navigation, timing services (PNT), and enhanced domain awareness, and to do so consistently and constantly. To meet this need Lunar Outpost proposes LEAP or the Laser Extended Ad-Hoc Prescence to provide communication between the Earth and Moon, and across the lunar surface. LEAP’s hardware is designed to thrive in the lunar environment and offers network capabilities for the foreseeable future once it has been deployed. LEAP’s core system is Lunar Outpost’s HL-MAPP rover, a 220kg mobility platform that can support up to 80kg in payloads. This rover, properly equipped, serves as the communications link between the Earth and Moon by supporting an ultra-long-range laser communication system that is capable of communicating with any appropriately equipped system on Earth or in Earth orbit. Lunar surface communications are enabled using deployable network relay nodes that are dispensed by the HL-MAPP rover. These nodes utilize cutting edge mesh networking protocols that enable them to daisy chain connectivity to across the lunar surface and beyond the range of conventional networks. The mesh capabilities of these nodes ensure that communications with lunar surface assets are robust and redundant by offering multiple pathways for communication. Beyond this the LEAP system is dynamic and mobile, meaning network coverage can be changed depending on the mission and it is capable of evading threats.