NASA delivers shoebox-sized navigation payload for first lunar relay

NASA delivered the NavCube3-mini navigation payload to Intuitive Machines on July 13, 2026, for integration into the company’s Altus-1 lunar relay satellite. The delivery marks a milestone in building communications and navigation infrastructure for future lunar missions.

About half the size of a shoebox and weighing 3.5 pounds, the payload will use signals from Earth’s GPS and Galileo satellite systems to determine a spacecraft’s position at lunar distances. It operates on less than 20 watts of power and builds on navigation technology developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Altus-1 is the first satellite in a planned lunar relay network that Intuitive Machines is developing under its Near Space Network Services contract with NASA. The network will support missions in the lunar South Pole region, where Artemis astronauts are scheduled to land in 2028 and direct Earth communication is difficult.

Before delivery, NavCube3-mini underwent environmental and performance testing at NASA Goddard. The tests included vibration, thermal vacuum, and electromagnetic compatibility assessments, along with high-fidelity simulations of GPS and Galileo signals to verify functionality in lunar orbit.

Munther Hassouneh is the NavCube3-mini project manager. The payload will serve as a technology demonstration, validating GNSS-based navigation near the Moon and providing data for future infrastructure.

NASA’s strategy aims to develop communications and navigation services that work across commercial providers and its own networks, supporting a growing lunar ecosystem of orbiters, landers, rovers, and astronauts.