LUNET
A standardized infrastructure for lunar mobility and ISRU integration
The Lunar Utility Node & Exchange Terminal (LUNET) is a standardized network of surface and orbital utility nodes designed to support routine, repeatable lunar transportation and operations. LUNET enables refueling, recharging, diagnostics, and logistics coordination for lunar surface and cislunar vehicles.
Rather than treating lunar mobility as a sequence of bespoke missions, LUNET establishes persistent infrastructure. It allows vehicles to carry only the propellant required for the next leg, enabling low-delta-v hops between nodes and supporting sustained operational cadence.
System Characteristics
- Distributed surface and orbital utility nodes
- Refueling, recharging, diagnostics, and logistics exchange
- Designed for integration with lunar and orbital ISRU pipelines
- Independent of any single vehicle or station architecture
ISRU-Aligned Operations
LUNET is designed around a water-buffered ISRU architecture. Water absorbs uncertainty and provides long-duration buffering, oxygen naturally lends itself to inventory, and hydrogen is treated as a short-dwell, near-use commodity rather than a bulk storage product.
This approach reduces power burden, tank mass, and system brittleness while improving operational resilience and scalability.
Strategic Role
By decoupling vehicles from mission-complete propellant loads and enabling staged exchange across persistent nodes, LUNET transforms lunar ISRU from demonstration into daily operations that can be planned, relied upon, and scaled.