NASA intends to launch Lunar Node 1 in early 2024 as part of an effort to establish a capability that would enable Global Positioning System-like navigation near and around the moon.
LN-1, an S-band navigation beacon, will be delivered to the lunar surface aboard aerospace company Intuitive Machines‘ NOVA-C lunar lander as part of the IM-1 mission, NASA said.
The beacon will demonstrate various navigation technologies — including Multi-spacecraft Autonomous Positioning System, or MAPS, algorithms — intended to enable lunar surface and orbital operations.
LN-1 was built at the Marshall Space Flight Center, where it underwent and passed vibration, electromagnetic interference and thermal vacuum testing. It has also undergone radio frequency compatibility testing with the Deep Space Network, whose ground stations will collect measurements to validate LN-1’s capabilities during the actual mission.
The technologies to be demonstrated during the IM-1 mission are expected to enable future lunar assets to navigate autonomously.