Moon Online: The Future of Lunar Internet and How We Keep It Secure

When NASA’s Artemis program talks about returning humans to the Moon, it is no longer just a mission to plant a flag and come home. This time, the goal is to stay, to build infrastructure that allows astronauts, robotic explorers, scientists, and private companies to work together in a permanent presence beyond Earth. At the center of this vision is LunaNet, the planned “Internet of the Moon.” LunaNet will be the backbone that connects lunar habitats, rovers, orbiters, and Earth in one interconnected system, allowing near-real-time data transfer and coordination. Understanding what LunaNet is, how it will work, and what it will take to keep it secure is crucial for anyone interested in the future of human spaceflight.

Image credits: https://www.nasa.gov/

LunaNet: Connecting the Moon

LunaNet is NASA’s concept for a communications and navigation network around the Moon that behaves like the internet we use every day. Currently, lunar missions rely on direct point-to-point communication with Earth, which can lead to blackout periods when a spacecraft is out of line-of-sight. LunaNet aims to solve this by placing relay satellites in lunar orbit, creating a persistent network that can route data through multiple paths. This approach will allow continuous contact with surface crews, autonomous rovers, and scientific payloads, even when they are on the far side of the Moon or operating independently.

This network is more than just a communications system. LunaNet will also provide positioning, navigation, and timing services, essentially becoming a lunar version of GPS. Future missions will use it to transmit high-definition video, share scientific findings in near real time, and coordinate construction of habitats and power systems. LunaNet is designed as a “network of networks,” meaning it will allow multiple space agencies and commercial companies to plug in, share resources, and exchange data securely. This makes it a critical piece of infrastructure for a sustainable lunar economy.

Risks and the Challenge of Securing LunaNet

With connectivity comes risk. Any network can be exploited if it is not carefully secured, and LunaNet will carry information that is far too important to leave vulnerable. A compromised LunaNet could disrupt navigation signals, interfere with robotic construction, delay life-critical data from reaching Earth, or expose sensitive crew health information. Cyberattacks could include signal spoofing, unauthorized command injections, or data manipulation. Because the Moon is nearly 400,000 kilometers away, engineers cannot simply repair compromised systems on-site. The network must be designed to protect itself, detect threats, and remain operational even when parts of it are disrupted.

The technical foundation of LunaNet’s security will be built on the Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) Bundle Protocol, which is designed to move data reliably through networks that have long delays or interruptions. To protect these data exchanges, Bundle Protocol Security (BPSec) will be implemented between nodes. This provides end-to-end security, ensuring that data is both confidential and tamper-resistant as it travels between lunar orbiters, surface systems, and Earth.

Image credits: https://www.nasa.gov/

Encryption will play a central role. Sensitive communications, especially those related to crew health data or personal information, must be encrypted to protect astronaut privacy and prevent unauthorized access. Authentication mechanisms will be needed to confirm that any system, user, or device connecting to LunaNet is legitimate. Without authentication, a malicious actor could gain access and inject false data or intercept commands.

Building a Resilient and Trusted Lunar Internet

Securing LunaNet will require more than just encryption. The LunaNet Interoperability Specification (LNIS) provides a framework of agreed-upon standards and protocols to ensure that networks from different agencies and commercial providers work together reliably. This interoperability is key to building trust across all users and to creating a unified lunar communications backbone.

The DTN architecture will provide resilience through its store-and-forward model. Rather than relying on continuous real-time connectivity, data can be stored temporarily at nodes and forwarded when a link becomes available. This prevents data loss and keeps operations running even during brief outages. The network will also need intrusion detection systems that can autonomously flag suspicious behavior and isolate affected nodes. Since hardware in space is difficult to upgrade, these systems must be lightweight and able to operate on space-rated processors for many years without failure.

Commercial partnerships will also play a major role. LunaNet is not just a NASA project; it is being developed with contributions from international partners and commercial providers. This collaborative approach is meant to enhance redundancy, reliability, and security. Shared responsibility will require shared commitment to cybersecurity best practices, much like global efforts to secure undersea cables or the terrestrial internet.

In the end, securing LunaNet is about more than protecting data. It is about enabling a future where astronauts, scientists, and explorers can rely on a trusted network while living and working on another world. It will be the first true interplanetary internet, carrying everything from mission-critical telemetry to live streams from the lunar surface. Building it will be a triumph of engineering. Keeping it secure will be what allows humanity to depend on it for decades to come.

Yours truly,

Contributing writer - Riyam Ojaimi

Founder & CEO, Executive Team