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NASA awards $5m contract to AiRANACULUS for lunar communications tech. AiRANACULUS to partner with NASA Ames, Nokia Federal Solutions, NVIDIA, Dell Technologies, Curtiss-Wright, Supermicro and Radisys to advance autonomous heterogeneous networking technologies through space flight testing. Massachusetts-based deep technology company AiRANACULUS has secured a $5m contract from NASA under the Civilian Commercialisation Readiness Pilot Programme (CCRPP) to advance intelligent communications technologies for future lunar and deep-space missions. The 24-month project will focus on developing next-generation heterogeneous communication networks capable of supporting NASA’s expanding lunar exploration initiatives. As part of the contract, AiRANACULUS will further enhance its Cross Layer Spectrum Aware Cognitive Control Plane and Intelligent Routing Engine (CLAIRE) and Intelligent Network Slicing and Policy-based Routing Engine (INSPiRE), two AI-powered platforms designed to improve the performance, resilience and adaptability of complex communication networks. The programme will be carried out in collaboration with NASA Ames Research Center and a group of industry partners including NVIDIA, Nokia Federal Solutions, Dell Technologies, Curtiss-Wright, Supermicro and Radisys. The effort will also include integrated testing and spaceflight validation to advance the technologies toward operational deployment. The award comes as NASA and its partners continue to expand lunar exploration under the Artemis programme, creating demand for communications systems capable of supporting a wide range of applications. These include lunar habitats, robotic systems, autonomous vehicles, rovers, science payloads, mining operations, radio astronomy, lunar orbiters and future Mars missions. Such environments require seamless coordination across multiple communication technologies, including 4G/5G cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite communications operating across diverse frequency bands and conditions. AiRANACULUS said its CLAIRE and INSPiRE platforms are designed to deliver flexible and resilient connectivity between lunar surface operations, orbiting assets and cislunar infrastructure. CLAIRE dynamically manages networks through cross-layer sensing, adapting to changing radio frequency environments, reducing interference and congestion, and intelligently routing traffic to maintain mission-critical quality of service. INSPiRE extends these capabilities by enabling intelligent network slicing and policy-based orchestration across heterogeneous terrestrial and space-based networks using NVIDIA accelerated computing platforms, including the NVIDIA Aerial Testbed and NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip. Steve Vogelsang, Chief Technology Officer, at Nokia Federal Solutions, said: "Nokia Federal is proud to support the evolution of lunar communications infrastructure through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. AiRANACULUS’ CLAIRE architecture creates an important bridge between terrestrial 4G/5G systems, Wi-Fi, SATCOM, and cislunar communications while enabling more intelligent Delay Tolerant Networking across space environments." Joseph Korff, Founder of Arc Ventures, added: "The future of lunar exploration depends on resilient, adaptive, and interoperable communications architectures capable of supporting a broad range of missions and operational environments. AiRANACULUS’ technology represents an important building block for the future of lunar and space networking, and Arc Ventures has proudly invested in AiRANACULUS to build the foundation to support the Lunar economy and the next generation of intelligent, mission-critical networks." Dr Apurva N. Mody, Founder and CEO of AiRANACULUS, stated: "From resilient defense communications and interference-aware 5G systems to autonomous space networking, CLAIRE and INSPiRE represent the next evolution of intelligent communications infrastructure where reliability is mission critical, whether on Earth or beyond. This award validates our leadership for AI-driven, self-optimizing RF and networking systems and positions AiRANACULUS at the forefront of AI-RAN innovation for lunar and deep-space exploration." Through the CCRPP programme, NASA aims to advance the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) of the CLAIRE and INSPiRE platforms through comprehensive testing and spaceflight demonstrations in partnership with NASA Ames Research Center.

Hardman Johnston Global Advisors highlighted Curtiss-Wright Corporation in its first-quarter 2026 investor letter as a top contributor to its Large Cap Equity Strategy. The aerospace and defence engineering company saw strong customer order growth, adding to existing backlogs in aerospace and nuclear power sectors. Curtiss-Wright closed at $757.76 per share on 1 July 2026, with a market capitalisation of $28 billion. The stock gained 57.98% over the past 52 weeks and posted a 3.25% return in one month. In Q1 2026, the company reported sales of $914 million, representing 13% year-over-year growth. However, hedge fund interest declined, with 52 funds holding positions at the end of Q1 compared to 59 in the previous quarter.

Curtiss-Wright Corporation rose 24% in the first quarter of 2026, according to TimesSquare Capital Management's U.S. Mid Cap Growth Strategy investor letter. The aerospace and defence company's strong performance was driven by fourth-quarter revenues that exceeded expectations, leading to higher earnings. The company, which provides engineered products and services to aerospace, defence, commercial nuclear power and industrial markets, saw particular strength in its aerospace and defence business, led by ground defence and naval defence segments. First-quarter sales reached $914 million, representing 13% year-over-year growth. At the end of the first quarter, 52 hedge funds held positions in Curtiss-Wright, down from 59 in the previous quarter. The company closed at $757.83 per share on 30 June 2026, with a market capitalisation of $28 billion.