NASA is bringing 5G and Wi-Fi 6 to the Moon. The U.S. space agency awarded Modulate Space Corporation, also known as modul8, a $38 million contract for NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

The deal is a firm-fixed-price contract officially named the “5G System and Lunar Surface Communications Evaluation and Radio Propagation Measurements” project.

Work is split into two primary areas. The first part, called the “5G Network-in-a-Box Development and Lab Demonstration,” runs from Thursday, Oct. 1, through Jan. 31, 2028. The second part, the “Lunar 5G and Wi-Fi Integrated Surface Network and Flight Demonstration on the Lunar Surface,” runs from Monday, Nov. 30, through Dec. 31, 2028.

Through these demonstrations, NASA will get the hardware, firmware, and software needed to build an integrated lunar communications system. The work provides NASA with clear insight into system architecture and operational performance, while remaining flexible for future Moon Base surface operations.

5G Communications on the Moon

Advertisement

Photo: muratart/Shutterstock

Modul8 was founded by the team that created Nokia Bell Labs’ space communications business. Its journey began in 2018 with a research effort called the “Mission to the Moon” project, in collaboration with Vodafone, Audi, and PTS.

In 2020, NASA awarded the Nokia Bell Labs team a Tipping Point contract to test whether standard cellular tech could handle space. Nokia then created a Space Communications Solutions venture, and the team integrated a cell network into Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission. On March 6, 2025, it activated the world’s first “on-air” cellular network on the Moon.

Scaling Up for Deep Space

Momentum kept building when the team joined the Artemis program and worked with Axiom Space to integrate a spacesuit communications system.

To grow beyond Nokia, modul8 launched as an independent venture. It has invested in the facilities, equipment, and systems needed to scale up as a standalone space business. Today, modul8 designs, develops, and deploys mission-critical communications and application solutions engineered for the extreme conditions of space.