Lunar Wireless Channel Simulation

Predicting Wireless Communications on the Moon with Remcom's NASA-Trusted Tools

Remcom collaborates with NASA to simulate wireless communication challenges on the Moon, advancing capabilities for Artemis missions that demand robust, continuous communication for astronauts operating in this challenging landscape. These links—whether between habitats, rovers, landers, or wearable devices—must function reliably in a highly irregular environment.

To meet this need, Remcom’s Wireless InSite software is being enhanced to account for:

The unique electrical and structural properties of lunar regolith and bedrock
Scattering effects caused by crater topology and surface roughness
Multipath propagation and Doppler effects in non-terrestrial environments
Coverage planning for 4G/5G and Wi-Fi systems under LunaNet architecture

On-Body and Spacesuit-Mounted Antenna Simulations

Antennas mounted on modern spacesuits pose novel electromagnetic challenges due to complex multi-layer materials and body interactions. Remcom has developed simulation enhancements using Huygens surfaces to account for:

Near-field and far-field behavior in dynamic astronaut motion scenarios
Device-to-device (D2D) communication via sidelink protocols
Relay-based coverage when astronauts move out of direct line-of-sight
Performance trade-offs for alternative antenna placement and configurations

Faster Simulation. Accurate Results. Mission-Ready Tools.

Simulation speed is essential for engineering agility. Novel enhancements significantly reduce simulation runtimes by one to two orders of magnitude, making it feasible to analyze large-scale, dynamic scenarios within practical design timelines.

Simulate and compare antenna placements in minutes
Analyze the effect of motion and terrain on signal loss and delay spread
Integrate simulation results into emulators for system-level hardware testing

Additional Information

Webinars

Time-Based Mobility of RF Systems in Wireless InSite Release 4.0

Learn about the next generation of Wireless InSite, featuring a robust mobility framework that accurately models the movement of transceivers and objects within a user-defined scene.
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Videos

Simulate Dynamic Wireless Mobility with Wireless InSite

This video demonstrates Wireless InSite's mobility features, including vehicle in-cabin radar coverage and ultra-wideband (UWB) visualization, child presence detection, moving platforms with velocities and time-based motion, and lunar RF systems simulations.
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Videos

Talking on the Moon: How Spectrum Research Will Shape the Next Era of Space Exploration

Greg Skidmore, from Remcom, attended a virtual workshop held by NTIA on November 6, 2024, focused on the challenges of developing this model, with discussions led by experts from various organizations highlighting obstacles such as the Moon's terrain and lack of gravity. The event aimed to enhance understanding and collaboration in this critical research area to support future lunar missions.
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Publications

Breaking Boundaries in Wireless Communication: Simulating Animated, On-Body RF Propagation

This paper discusses how RF propagation simulations empower engineers in the design and development of wireless devices for body-worn applications.
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Publications

How LunaNet Will Bring Internet-Like Capabilities To The Moon

In this article, John Oncea explains NASA's LunaNet project and how Remcom's participation will help to ensure reliable network performance on the Moon. LunaNet will empower NASA to explore the Moon and lay the foundation to support missions to Mars and beyond in the future.
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