The website Space.com reports that Nokia is developing an LTE/4G communication system for the Moon. The first part of it may be launched by the end of this year. The hardware for the simplified version of the network is set to be launched later this year as part of the IM-2 Intuitive Machine mission, which is planned to land on the Moon's south pole.
Nokia's equipment will connect the lunar lander Nova-C from Intuitive Machines with the MAPP rover from Lunar Outpost and the Micro-Nova habitation module. The viability of the system will be tested both at close and distant distances.
"Just like shelter, food, and life support, communication will become a key component of any future mission to the Moon or Mars. Instead of 'reinventing the wheel' by creating our own network in space, we leverage the same modern technologies that connect billions of smartphones on Earth," said Thierry Klein, President of Bell Labs Solutions Research at Nokia.
In 2020, NASA awarded contracts to 14 companies to develop communication technologies to support the Artemis program. Nokia received $14.1 million to build the first cellular network on the Moon. Instead of inventing completely new technology, Nokia is adapting existing equipment for the lunar environment.
If all goes according to plan, the Nokia 4G/LTE lunar network will provide greater bandwidth than traditional UHF systems for space communication. This will accelerate communication not only between astronauts but also for autonomous robotic systems. Furthermore, the network could eventually be adapted for Mars - and eventually upgraded to 5G.
However, not everyone is excited about the idea of a cellular network on the Moon. Radio astronomers are concerned that such a network could create radio frequency interference that would disrupt radio observations. But Nokia theoretically can protect certain frequencies without disrupting the work of radio observatories.
Keen readers may recall seeing something similar at ITC over a year ago. Yes, in March of last year there was talk about Nokia on the Moon, Nova-C from Intuitive Machines, and the Artemis mission. But considering the delay of this space program, such news may emerge in 2025 or 2026. It's surprising that a year after the initial announcement, Nokia is still "developing" the equipment.
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