Nokia to build moon’s first 4G network for Nasa programme

Nokia says it has been asked by Nasa to build the first mobile communications network on the moon.

The Finnish telecommunications equipment maker said on Monday that its Nokia Bell Labs division will build a 4G communications system to be deployed on a lunar lander to the moon’s surface in late 2022.

Nasa is awarding 370 million US dollars (£285 million) to 14 companies to provide technology for the Artemis moon-landing programme, the aim of which is to establish a long-term human presence on the moon as a warm-up for missions to Mars.

Nokia released more details of its involvement after an announcement last week by Nasa, which said it was giving the company’s US unit 14.1 million dollars (£10.9 million) for the network.

Reliable, resilient and high-capacity communications networks will be key to supporting sustainable human presence on the lunar surface

Nokia

The US space agency is also funding other innovations in cryogenic fluid management, lunar surface innovation, and descent and landing capability.

Nokia’s network will provide critical communications capabilities for tasks astronauts will need to carry out, like remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and high-definition video streaming, the company said.

The equipment includes a base station, antennas and software and is designed to withstand harsh launches and lunar landings and extreme conditions in space.

Nokia is partnering with US company Intuitive Machines, which Nasa chose to build a small “hopper lander” that can access lunar craters and carry out high-resolution surveys of the lunar surface over a short distance.

“Reliable, resilient and high-capacity communications networks will be key to supporting sustainable human presence on the lunar surface,” Nokia’s chief technology officer Marcus Weldon said.