Synopsys Secures NASA Artemis Contracts for Spacesuit ESD Testing and Lunar Cellular Network
Synopsys won NASA contracts for Artemis program, using its Ansys Charge Plus with EMA to model spacesuit triboelectrification and ESD and validate designs at EMA’s SERE lab. It also partners with Cesium to integrate 3D lunar digital twins with Ansys RF Channel Modeler for Moon-surface cellular network deployment.
1. NASA Awards Synopsys and EMA for Spacesuit Charging Analysis
NASA’s Johnson Space Center engaged Synopsys and Electro Magnetic Applications to research triboelectrification and electrostatic discharge in Artemis spacesuits using Ansys Charge Plus software. Teams will simulate plasma interactions in full 3D and validate results at EMA’s Space Environment and Radiation Effects Laboratory to identify worst-case charging conditions and enhance astronaut safety.
2. Collaboration with Cesium for Digital Moon and Cellular Network
Synopsys and Cesium, part of Bentley Systems, are creating a high-fidelity digital twin of lunar terrain to test RF signal propagation with Ansys RF Channel Modeler and HFSS software. This work supports NASA SCaN’s Lunar 3GPP project by mapping potential shadow zones and validating network coverage scenarios ahead of hardware deployment.
3. Strategic Impact on Synopsys’s Engineering Solutions Portfolio
These NASA engagements reinforce Synopsys’s leadership in digital engineering across silicon-to-system workflows and expand its presence in aerospace applications. Success in these high-visibility space projects could drive further government and commercial contracts, bolstering revenue growth and enhancing the firm’s reputation in complex simulation and analysis services.