Expanding our capacity to bring more data home from the Moon.
To meet America’s growing needs for lunar exploration, NASA is working with industry to build a global network of state-of-the-art ground stations, known as Lunar Exploration Ground Sites (LEGS).
The ground stations will provide high-availability, direct-to-Earth communications coverage for missions operating between 36,000 kilometers and 2 million kilometers from Earth, increasing the Near Space Network’s capacity to send and receive lunar data.
Returning to the Moon to Stay
Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
Learn MoreExpanding Ground Infrastructure
The Near Space Network provides missions within 1.25 million miles of Earth with robust communications and navigation services. Using space relays and a blend of government and commercial antennas, the network brings back terabytes of critical science and exploration data from missions operating near-Earth.
Discover the Near Space Network
LEGS Image Gallery
Talking to the Moon
NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) is building global partnerships to advance lunar communications and navigation technologies and establish international standards for a resilient, interoperable future on and around the Moon.
Learn More
Partnering with Industry
In May 2026, NASA released a Sources Sought Notice as market research to identify commercial companies capable of supporting the LEGS initiative. By 2027, the agency will release a solicitation and select one industry partner to build and operate the lunar ground stations.
Review the Sources Sought Notice
The post LEGS appeared first on NASA Science.