Lonestar, a leader in lunar infrastructure, today announced the launch of its Lunar Developer Network, a revolutionary platform designed for developers to create and test applications destined for use in the most remote edge environment imaginable: the Moon. As part of Lonestar’s ambitious program to establish data centers on, in, and around the Moon, the company is offering virtual machines that mirror the actual lunar environment, providing developers with the unprecedented opportunity to prepare their applications for space-based deployment.

This announcement follows Lonestar’s first mission in February 2024, which successfully tested the world’s first software-defined data center both on the Moon and in Cislunar space. This historic achievement marked a new era for space-based edge computing, proving the viability of software-defined infrastructure in the harsh conditions of space. All of Lonestar’s edge processing and data storage operations, both on the Moon and in orbit around it, are entirely solar-powered and carbon neutral, ensuring a sustainable approach to lunar infrastructure development.

Building on that success, Lonestar is now accelerating its lunar operations and expanding opportunities for developers through the Lunar Developer Network.

Lonestar’s next mission, scheduled for Q1 2025, will launch aboard Intuitive Machines' IM-2 Athena lander. This mission marks a significant technological milestone as Lonestar will deploy an 8 Terabyte edge data center powered by a Microchip Polarfire System-on-a-Chip running Linux. The technical foundation of this data center is cutting edge for space-based processing. It hosts a range of edge processing applications from industry innovators such as Valkyrie Intelligence and the Exploration Institute.

"We are creating a suite of tools that allow prospective and current customers to develop their applications terrestrially using best-in-class software and techniques, while experiencing life-like interaction with a model of our system as it would operate in space," said James Burns-Montante, Chief Engineer at Lonestar. "By launching the Lunar Developer Network, we're opening the door for a global community of developers to build applications that can operate in space and take advantage of the unique opportunities that our space platform provides."

The Lunar Developer Network provides a unique platform for developers to access containers, virtual machines, or engineering-unit hardware that simulate actual lunar conditions, allowing developers to test their applications in the same environment that Lonestar’s lunar data centers operate. Whether focused on AI, data storage, or edge computing, this platform is designed to foster innovation and support developers aiming to be part of the next frontier of space-based technology.

Developers interested in testing their applications with a company that has already sent data centers and AI to space are invited to join the Lunar Developer Network. This initiative opens up unprecedented opportunities for applications tailored to the ultimate edge of computing—literally out of this world.