Tuxera’s technology lands on the Moon with Puli Space

Tuxera’s data management technology proves its resilience and reliability in one of the harshest possible environments — the Moon.

HELSINKI – 19.03.2025 – Tuxera technology has officially landed on the Moon. Reliance Edge™ file system was embedded in a Puli Space Technologies device that touched down as part of Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 lunar mission.

The Puli Lunar Water Snooper (PLWS) — a NASA-awarded miniature neutron spectrometer — was able to gather data for 40 minutes on water ice in the Moon’s South Pole region. The IM-2 lunar mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, designed to accelerate private-sector participation in lunar exploration.

This mission marks the European Space Agency’s (ESA) first private business deal on the Moon to purchase lunar exploration data.

Image credit to Intuitive Machines and Puli Space Technologies

“This mission had numerous firsts, with extraordinary efforts and achievements being worked on over a decade. I’m extremely happy and honored that Tuxera’s space-proven technology could have been part of this historical mission,” said Szabolcs Szakacsits, Tuxera’s founder and CTO.

A big step for commercial lunar exploration

Intuitive Machines’ Athena lunar lander safely touched down in the Mons Mouton region of the Moon on Thursday, March 6, at approximately 11:30 a.m. CST. Landing within 250 meters of its target, this marks the southernmost landing of any probe to date.

The mission faced challenges, as expected in these high-risk, high-reward endeavors. Due to extreme cold temperatures and unfavorable solar panel orientation, Intuitive Machines announced on Friday, March 7 that Athena’s mission had concluded. Although the mission didn’t achieve all its goals, Intuitive Machines successfully collected 250 megabytes of data for NASA, which will contribute to other agency and commercial efforts.

Lunar exploration has evolved from a purely scientific pursuit into a real economic opportunity. Establishing a long-term lunar presence starts with using the Moon’s natural resources. Water ice extraction could provide essential drinking water, enable oxygen production, and create rocket fuel, making lunar missions more sustainable and efficient.

But before that can happen, scientists first need to determine where these resources are, how much exists, and whether they can be extracted. That’s where missions like IM-2 come in, delivering the crucial data needed to answer these questions. And with Tuxera’s technology, that lunar exploration data remains secure and accessible — even in the most extreme conditions.

Tuxera’s proven performance in space

Tuxera has a strong track record in space technology, with data management software already used in critical aerospace applications, including data storage aboard the International Space Station. The company has also collaborated with aerospace contractors across North America and Europe.

The aerospace industry has uniquely strict requirements for safety, reliability, and efficiency, and for good reason. The harsh conditions of space — such as extreme temperature fluctuations and radiation exposure — pose unique challenges for data storage and processing. Tuxera’s technology is built to withstand these harsh environments while ensuring fault tolerance and high performance.

A longstanding partnership with Puli Space

Tuxera has proudly supported Puli Space Technologies since 2014, providing both financial backing and technical expertise. Together, the companies have reached several milestones:

2014: Tuxera’s founder and CTO, Szabolcs Szakacsits, spearheaded a sponsorship for Team Puli, supporting Hungary’s first payload to the Moon.

2020: Team Puli won NASA’s “Honey, I Shrunk the NASA Payload! The Sequel” challenge, resulting in the miniaturized water ice detector exploring the Moon.

2024: Tuxera sponsored Puli Space Technologies’ “Memory of Mankind (MoM) on the Moon,” a time capsule project aboard Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One (PM1) as part of NASA’s Artemis program.

The IM-2 lunar mission is another step forward in advancing lunar exploration, and Tuxera is proud to support Puli Space with reliable data management.

“It is a fantastic feeling to look up to the Moon knowing that our Puli Lunar Water Snooper is there. Collecting data with our instrument on the lunar surface is a great milestone which we could only achieve with the support of our partners and supporters. We are more than happy to have Tuxera as our true companion on this long journey; the sky is the limit!” said Tibor Pacher, Founder and CEO of Puli Space.

Learn how Tuxera supports the aerospace industry here.

Image credit: Intuitive Machines and Puli Space Technologies

Tuxera

Tuxera is the leading provider of quality-assured data storage management software and networking technologies. We help people and businesses store and move data reliably, while making file transfers fast and content easily accessible. Our software is at the core of billions of phones, tablets, cars, TV sets, cameras, drones, external storage, routers, spacecraft, IoT devices, and public cloud storage platforms.

Tuxera’s customers include car makers, device manufacturers, industrial equipment manufacturers, data-driven enterprises, and many more. We help them solve complex challenges involving data in all its states – at rest, in use, and in motion. They rely on our software to protect data integrity, ensure data accessibility, improve storage performance, transfer data rapidly and securely, and extend flash memory lifetime in their products and for their projects.