Square Peg Releases RLS-2100 Lunar Communications Simulator
The RLS-2100 lets engineers test radio equipment against the signal delays and Doppler shifts of Earth-Moon links before missions launch.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Space
Square Peg Communications has released the RLS-2100 Radio Link Simulator, which combines RF channel impairments, orbital dynamics and transmitter-to-receiver signal-path modeling in one instrument. The release comes as NASA, ESA and JAXA jointly develop the LunaNet Interoperability Specification.
Why it matters
Radio signals take roughly 1.25 to 1.3 seconds to travel one way between Earth and the Moon, and the lunar far side has no direct line of sight to Earth. Lunar communications equipment must be tested for these conditions on the ground before it is sent into space.
The RLS-2100 provides up to 2.4 GHz of processing bandwidth and integrated GPS L1 simulation at 1,575.42 MHz, with up to four cooperating units providing 16 channels. Performance under real mission conditions has not been independently reported.
The players
Square Peg Communications
Square Peg Communications is the company that released the RLS-2100 Radio Link Simulator for testing lunar communications equipment.
NASA
NASA is the United States space agency, which is developing the Artemis program and co-developing the LunaNet Interoperability Specification with ESA and JAXA.
ESA
The European Space Agency is a European intergovernmental space organization co-developing the LunaNet Interoperability Specification with NASA and JAXA.
JAXA
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is Japan's national space agency, co-developing the LunaNet Interoperability Specification with NASA and ESA.
The details
Engineers connect the RF input and output ports of actual communications equipment to the simulator, and signals passing through the instrument experience the selected conditions in real time. The tool is designed to reproduce long signal delays, changing Doppler shifts and interruptions before hardware leaves Earth.
Timeline
April 2026: Artemis II carried four astronauts, including Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, around the Moon.
2027: NASA plans an Artemis III demonstration in Earth orbit.
Early 2028: The first Artemis lunar landing on Artemis IV is targeted.
Later in 2028: Another surface mission on Artemis V is planned.
Roadmap
The RLS-2100 release sits alongside the LunaNet Interoperability Specification, the multi-agency framework NASA, ESA and JAXA are developing to connect lunar networks. It supports that effort by enabling equipment testing ahead of the Artemis III, IV and V missions planned for 2027 and 2028.
Lunar communications testing shapes how reliably future Moon missions can send data and voice across the signal delays of the Earth-Moon link. Equipment validated on the ground is more likely to perform as expected once it is deployed.
The takeaway
Lunar communications must work across a roughly 1.3-second one-way delay and a far side with no direct view of Earth, so ground testing before launch matters. Tools like the RLS-2100 are one way engineers check that equipment will hold up in those conditions.
What happens next
NASA plans an Artemis III demonstration in Earth orbit in 2027, followed by the targeted first Artemis lunar landing on Artemis IV in early 2028.
Further reading
Explore more on Space to see how lunar communications are being built for upcoming missions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Everythingrf.
