NASA’s Historic First: GPS Signals Now Reach the Moon!

Although there are no lost tourists exploring the Moon yet, knowing how to navigate its surface will be vital for astronauts on future missions.

To prepare for this, NASA’s Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) has successfully captured GPS signals from Earth’s orbit.

As part of the Blue Ghost mission, which landed on the Moon on March 2, LuGRE received communications from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). This network includes GPS and helps with location tracking.

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“On Earth, we use GNSS for everything from smartphones to planes,” says Kevin Coggins from NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program.

“Now, with LuGRE, we can also access GNSS signals on the Moon. This is a game changer for lunar navigation, and we hope to use this technology in future missions.”

This means that spacecraft, both orbiting the Moon and on its surface, can accurately track their positions and speeds, making it easier to navigate between different lunar spots.

This lunar GPS should also assist spacecraft flying between Earth and the Moon. Right now, figuring out a spacecraft’s position can be tricky, requiring lots of observations and data. The new system will save time for astronauts and mission control.

LuGRE will keep connecting with GNSS for 14 days, about 225,000 miles or 360,000 kilometers away. This will further test the technology and help spot any issues.

This mission marks a significant milestone for the Italian Space Agency (ISA), as LuGRE is the first technology developed with their support to reach the Moon. Once proven, NASA and ISA plan to share this tech with other space agencies.

The LuGRE project is among several initiatives linked to the Artemis program, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2027 and establish a lasting base there.

“This mission is not just about technology,” says flight dynamics engineer Joel Parker from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. “We want to enable more missions to the Moon for everyone’s benefit, working together with our global partners.”