St. Petersburg space startup Lonestar Data Holdings has organized a return trip to the moon.
The startup is returning to its celestial mission to host data centers on the moon and gearing up for its second launch with Texas-based Intuitive Machines, naming the mission the "Freedom" payload. In February, Lonestar's tech first reached the moon's surface onboard Intuitive Machines' lunar lander. The launch was an experiment that validated Lonestar's mission, CEO and founder Chris Stott said at the time.
"It cleared the path to focus on not just our 'Freedom' mission, but all future missions," Stott said.
Lonestar's first mission focused on testing and transmitting data from the state of Florida in partnership with Space Florida. Lonestar's test was successful, but the lunar lander's other goals were limited after an imperfect landing and the mission ended early.
The second mission is scheduled for late 2024 and will expand Lonestar's data technology on the moon. It will be the first "off-planet data center" and store 8,000 gigabytes of customers' data, according to a release. It also represents one of the first commercial services to be offered on the moon, Stott said.
Lonestar's data center will be powered by a custom microchip, specialized operating software and a storage device from Taiwanese firm Phison. A Colorado-based firm recently chose Phison's technology to send a 100,000-gigabyte server to the International Space Station. Phison's technology has also been used on a Mars rover.
The payload will also host a radiation sensor device from Lonestar's contractor, California company Skycorp Inc., according to a release. The companies' partnership offers a look at the development of digital infrastructure for the space economy, he said.
"This is a great indicator of this new sector that's growing," Stott said.
