Recognizing the rapid lunar exploration, DARPA envisions a thriving cislunar and lunar economy of scientific research and commercial development over the next decade.[1][2] It has launched two programs to address the need for shareable, scalable commercial systems essential to a robust lunar economy.[3][4]
Lunar Guidelines for Infrastructure Consortium (LOGIC)
LOGIC intends to bring industry, academia, and government together to identify critical lunar infrastructure interoperability and interface needs for commercial lunar infrastructure.[5]
In October 2023, the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) was selected to administer LOGIC as a permanent, self-sustaining, and independent forum for collaboration.[6]
10-Year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10)
Announced in August 2023, LunA-10 will conduct a seven-month capability study to create core technology concepts toward a series set of adaptable, expandable systems that can work together and be shared, “minimizing lunar footprint and creating monetizable services for future lunar users.”[2] The study is tailored to capabilities for commercial and economic uses, and will not be for military applications.[7]
The LunA-10 study’s focus areas are based on key sectors identified in a report titled “Lunar market assessment: market trends and challenges in the development of a lunar economy” by PwC Australia in September 2021.[2] Transit/mobility, energy, and communications are the three areas LunA-10 sees as forming the foundation of any other lunar industries.[8] Industries that may integrate technologies into the LunA-10 infrastructure include construction, mining, medicine, sciences, communications, etc.[9] In December 2023, 14 companies were funded to complete the study by June 2024 about the necessary infrastructure and capabilities required to develop a moon-based economy over the next ten years.[7] For example, aerospace company Northrop Grumman will provide a conceptual study of a “lunar railroad” network for commercial ventures.[10]
NASA has been working on a detailed architecture for lunar and Martian exploration.[11] DARPA has coordinated with NASA to make LunA-10 complementary to NASA architecture studies.[12]
An update on the program occurred in April 2024. With industry participants providing insight on how a lunar economy could be operationalized. Many proposals relied on the viability of in-situ resource utilization and low enough launch costs.[13]