Lunar Link

Lunar Link
Lunar Link (box with two parabolic antennas) attached to HALO
Operator European Space Agency
ManufacturerFranceItaly Thales Alenia Space
FunctionRadio frequency communication
Properties
Mass270 kg
Dimensions2.5 m x 2.5 m
Power consumptionup to 600 W

Lunar Link, also known as Halo Lunar Communication System (HLCS), is a package of spaceflight telecommunications equipment developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) for providing radio frequency connections to spacecraft on and around the Moon. It was originally intended to be used on the Lunar Gateway station as part of ESPRIT. However, the Lunar Gateway project was cancelled by NASA in 2026 and ESA is exploring possibilities of using Lunar Link as a standalone lunar communications satellite, possibly as part of the Moonlight programme.

Design

Lunar Link measures 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) in both length and width, has a mass of 270 kg (600 lb), and features two 125 cm (49 in) dish antennas. These allow it to achieve a data rate of up to 25 Mbps. Because of its two dishes, the system is able to communicate with two different targets at once in S- or K-band radio frequencies.

History

The Halo Lunar Communication System (HLCS) was renamed to Lunar Link by ESA in April 2024. In March 2026, NASA effectively cancelled the international Lunar Gateway project. By that time, Lunar Link's antennas have completed environmental testing and the entire instrument package was almost complete. Lunar Link was completed later that year and ESA intends to place it into controlled storage by the end of 2026, while it studies possibilities of launching it independently from Gateway as a standalone lunar communications satellite.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Rovelli, Davide; Mascarello, Marco; Stagnaro, Luca (2024). "Lunar Link the European Module that Connects the Lunar Gateway to the Moon". IAC-2024. International Astronautical Federation (IAF): 401–407. doi:10.52202/078363-0041. ISBN 979-8-3313-1214-5.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  2. ↑ Parsonson, Andrew (2026-06-23). "ESA Details Next Steps for Agency's Gateway Contributions". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  3. ↑ Parsonson, Andrew (2026-07-28). "ESA opens call to repurpose Gateway communications module". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  4. ↑ "Gateway: ESPRIT". European Space Agency. September 30, 2022. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  5. ↑ "Gateway: Lunar Link". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  6. ↑ "New names for the Gateway". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  7. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2026-03-24). "NASA halts work on Gateway to develop a lunar base". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  8. ↑ Gorman, Douglas (2026-03-27). "With Artemis Changes, Europe is Left Holding the Bag". Payload. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  9. ↑ "Lunar Link antennas complete testing". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  10. ↑ "Lunar Link complete and ready for a new adventure". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
  11. ↑ "Lunar Link complete and ready for a new adventure". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2026-10-20.
  12. ↑ NeoTeo (2026-10-21). "ESA Lunar Link Flight-Ready Status After Ground Tests". NeoTeo. Retrieved 2026-10-25.