RESEARCH
FDL Lunarlab 2026 :
A cognitive layer for the Moon
Lunarlab in 2026 will be developing a cognitive layer for the lunar frontier. Building on the release of the first multimodal lunar foundation model, Lunar-FM, an explosion of capabilities have been unlocked.
Challenges will explore how these foundational capabilities and their downstream use cases can be compressed and distilled to run on standard computers or edge devices for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). Merging with simulations and complementary approaches, we will be able to explore what autonomous operation on the lunar surface may look like.
Including an agentic layer and reasoning framework within Lunar-FM will allow mission planners to use natural language to identify landing sites, prospecting potential, or general mission planning, turning theory into resource-focused targets.
The core focus is the maturation of the Lunar Foundation Model (Lunar-FM), the world’s first AI dedicated to lunar science and resource prospecting. As part of the additional development, there needs to be a corresponding reasoning system which is specific to lunar resources and lunar operation.