Crescent Space will be 'well positioned' to get a piece of NASA's cash pie, no contract yet:
Aerospace firm Lockheed Martin has announced the launch of a subsidiary to build a satellite communications network to connect future Moon missions with those of us stuck on Earth.
Crescent Space Services' first big project will be Parsec, a "novel cislunar communications and navigation network," which will use a constellation of small satellites built by Lockheed Martin to connect lunar explorers to each other and ground control on Earth.
Lockheed Martin describes Parsec's communications links between the Moon and Earth as being "completely controlled by the network," which it said will save those involved in mission planning some IT support time so they can focus on operations instead.
Along with being a communications network, Parsec will also act as a lunar positioning system "informing those on the ground of their exact location, hidden hazards and even how to get back to base," Lockheed Martin said.
[...] "With momentum gaining around humanity's return to the Moon, this is an immediate area of opportunity for Crescent," the company said - without stating whether it had actually secured any deals to get its constellation into orbit.
"Crescent is well positioned to serve the upcoming wave of lunar science and exploration missions, including NASA's crewed Artemis moon landings," said Crescent CEO Joe Landon. Before being tapped to lead Crescent, Landon was Lockheed Martin's VP and GM for lunar infrastructure services. Being well positioned, we note, does not mean the company will actually get an award.
Crescent said it plans to launch the first satellites of the Parsec constellation in 2025, with will add more nodes over time. We asked Lockheed Martin if it or Crescent had been in talks with NASA to make a parsec into more than just a measure of space smuggling efficiency, and a Lockheed Martin spokesperson told us the company isn't under contract right now.
"Lockheed Martin believes so strongly in the future of the lunar economy that we have invested our own money in developing the first two Parsec satellites needed for Crescent's fundamental lunar communications and navigation services," the company spokesperson told us in an email.
Lockheed Martin said Parsec spacecraft are funded and in development, and reiterated that the company is still operating with a baseline launch date of 2025.
(Score: 2) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Sunday April 02, @07:20PM (1 child)
Read: they got a lot of money from the military. Probably from the new US Marvel Space Force.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday April 03, @06:16PM
Being able to accurately target objects on the lunar surface is an important national priority. It is necessary to prevent the weaponization of space and the planets.
How often should I have my memory checked? I used to know but...
(Score: 2) by SomeRandomGeek on Monday April 03, @05:28PM
Lockheed Martin is clearly looking to win some satellite building contract or other from the government, and they feel better positioned to do that if they can say "Unlike our competitors, we have a team that has actually built satellites for lunar orbit."