Amazon Web Services assisted NASA during the Artemis II mission by providing cloud infrastructure to stream high-definition video from the Moon. In April 2026, four astronauts launched on this historic voyage, marking the first crewed lunar trip since 1972. Consequently, millions of viewers watched the live broadcast across multiple digital platforms.
Computing Flight Paths in the Cloud
Designing trajectories for crewed spaceflight requires massive computational power. Specifically, the Orion flight sciences team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center runs tens of thousands of simulations for each launch window. These simulations generate between two and five terabytes of data.
To process this information, NASA utilized AWS GovCloud (US) to run calculations in near real-time. Furthermore, Booz Allen Hamilton built a system that allowed analysts to scale into hundreds of Intel-based cloud instances on demand. This method, known as cloud bursting, bypassed the limitations of shared on-premises computers.
Laser Communications for the Artemis II mission
The **Artemis II mission** carried a laser-based terminal developed by NASA over two decades. This system, called the Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System (O2O), transmits data at speeds up to 260 megabits per second. As a result, the spacecraft can send real-time 4K video across space.
However, receiving these signals on Earth required a strategic ground station. NASA selected the Australian National University’s Mount Stromlo Observatory near Canberra to capture the laser downlinks.
Terrestrial Network Infrastructure
To transport the video from Australia to the White Sands Complex in New Mexico, NASA required a high-performance terrestrial network. Meanwhile, the team established a connection between Mount Stromlo and a local network node.
This signal was routed across a global telecommunications backbone to New Mexico, covering 15,000 kilometers in milliseconds. Notably, the partners established this entire connection in a few weeks for a minimal cost.
Future Streaming Goals for Lunar Landings
The official streaming platform, NASA+, served as the central hub for the broadcast. The platform uses AWS Elemental services to handle live video encoding and secure transport to distribution partners. Additionally, Prime Video and YouTube carried the feed to reach a global audience.
This setup served as a proving ground for the **Artemis II mission** before upcoming lunar landings. For the future Artemis IV landing, the agency expects to reach 250 million viewers. Therefore, the cloud-based workflow will continue to support these high-capacity broadcasts.
