theinnermostloop.substack.com/p/welcome-to-april-7-2026
1 correction found
MoonRF releasing open-source phased-array hardware so anyone can bounce signals off the Moon
MoonRF had not released the hardware yet as of April 8, 2026, and its own site says key hardware components are proprietary rather than fully open-source.
Full reasoning
MoonRF’s official website contradicts both parts of this claim.
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The hardware was not yet released. The homepage says "Be the first to find out when hardware launches!" and lists "Hardware Expected to ship: July 2026" and "The QuadRF will be available soon!". That means the hardware was still upcoming, not already released, when this post was published on April 7, 2026.
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The hardware is not fully open-source. MoonRF’s FAQ says "Nearly all the software is open-source", but its hardware licensing table lists multiple hardware elements as "Proprietary (TBD)" or otherwise non-open licenses, including the MoonRF plastic enclosure, antenna honeycomb, and main layout/gerber files. So describing it as simply "open-source phased-array hardware" overstates what MoonRF is actually offering.
Because MoonRF itself says the hardware had not launched yet and that several hardware components are proprietary, the article’s phrasing is inaccurate.
2 sources
- MoonRF | Next-Gen SDR Arrays for EME Communications
Be the first to find out when hardware launches!... Hardware Expected to ship: July 2026... The QuadRF will be available soon!
- MoonRF Updates
Nearly all the software is open-source while making our hardware as accessible as possible... Hardware: ... Plastic enclosure for the MoonRF Proprietary (TBD) ... MoonRF antenna honeycomb Proprietary (TBD) ... QuadRF main layout and gerber files Proprietary (TBD).