Jetson modules and CUDA-X libraries will support rover autonomy, terrain mapping, LiDAR processing and lunar data downlink.
Lunar Outpost announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to expand the use of space computing, powered by NVIDIA, across its upcoming lunar missions. Leveraging the NVIDIA Jetson platform and NVIDIA CUDA-X libraries, Lunar Outpost will power onboard data processing, lunar mapping, advanced autonomy, and communications capabilities across its growing mission manifest.
With humanity returning to the Moon, NASA’s Artemis program is marking a new, unprecedented era of modern space exploration. As missions operate farther from Earth and under extreme conditions, cutting edge and reliable onboard computing is critical for enabling real-time decision-making, mapping unknown terrain, and supporting scientific discovery. To meet those demands, Lunar Outpost is deploying next-generation mobility systems, built on NVIDIA, to lay the groundwork for a permanent human presence in space.
NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform will be deployed across multiple upcoming Lunar Outpost missions, beginning with Lunar Voyage 2 (LV2), which is planned to launch later this year to explore Reiner Gamma. For LV2, Lunar Outpost is using NVIDIA Jetson modules to command and control the rover’s LiDAR system. The processor will also handle post-processing of sensor data and compression of large files for downlink, critical capabilities given communications constraints on the Moon.
Future missions, including Lunar Voyage 3 (LV3) and Lunar Voyage 5 (LV5)—which will enable the first human-robot interaction on another planetary body—will leverage high-performance, energy efficient edge AI from NVIDIA, such as the space-qualified NVIDIA Space-1 Vera Rubin Module. The Space-1 Module will ingest sensor data in real-time enabling Lunar Outpost to generate terrain maps, plan autonomous paths, and process them. NVIDIA’s robust compute enhances the rovers’ ability to operate with increasing independence hundreds of thousands of miles from the nearest ground station. The processor also supports real-time video streaming from the Moon to Earth, offering the public a historic, front-row seat to this new era of lunar exploration.
Lunar Outpost is also a member of the NVIDIA Inception Program, which provides hardware access and technical support to high-growth startups building at the edge of what’s possible. The NVIDIA collaboration builds on Lunar Outpost’s growing network of strategic customers, partners, and collaborators working to establish a sustained human presence beyond Earth, including iconic global brands such as Nokia, MIT, and Castrol. Lunar Outpost continues to expand its mission manifest, with ten fully contracted lunar and cislunar missions launching before 2030, which includes recent selection as a mobility provider to deliver the crewed Pegasus Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) under NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services (LTVS) contract for NASA’s Artemis program.
For more information, visit lunaroutpost.com.