Texting on the Moon? Streaming on Mars? These concepts may sound like something from a futuristic sci-fi movie, but they could be closer to reality than you might imagine.
NASA and Nokia have teamed up with a bold vision: to establish a cellular network on the Moon, which could serve as a critical stepping stone for long-term human presence not just on the Moon, but also on other planets, including Mars. In this unprecedented collaboration, they aim to bring telecommunications to the lunar surface, laying the foundation for future space communication systems that could one day enable astronauts and space settlers to stay connected in ways we’ve never experienced before.
Scheduled to launch later this year, a SpaceX rocket will carry a unique payload to the Moon – a simple but revolutionary 4G network. The exact launch date is still being finalized, but the goal is clear: to set up a cellular network on the Moon that could play a key role in NASA’s ambitious Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon by the mid-2020s. The 4G network will be installed at the lunar south pole, an area of great scientific interest due to its potential ice deposits. Once on the Moon, the system will be remotely controlled from Earth, marking a crucial step forward in space communication.
The first significant challenge in establishing this network is ensuring that the equipment is space-qualified — that is, it must meet stringent requirements related to size, weight, and power. Moreover, the network will need to be deployed in the harsh lunar environment, which poses its own set of difficulties, including extreme temperatures and high levels of radiation. In short, the equipment has to endure conditions that no terrestrial telecommunications system would be built to handle.
Walt Engelund, Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs at NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, explained in an interview with CNN that, “The first challenge to getting a network up and running is having space-qualified cellular equipment that meets the appropriate size, weight, and power requirements, as well as being deployed without a technician.” In other words, this network will be set up autonomously, with no human technician present on the lunar surface. The complexity of this operation is immense, but if successful, it will open the door to a new era of space communication.
The 4G unit itself is being built by Nokia’s Bell Labs, the innovation hub behind many of Nokia’s breakthrough technologies. The network will be constructed using a variety of off-the-shelf commercial components, which makes the technology more cost-effective and faster to deploy. Once built, the 4G system will be loaded onto a lander designed by U.S. company Intuitive Machines. The lander will then travel to the Moon, where it will set up the system and ensure that it functions as intended.
After deployment, the system will not only connect the lander to the Moon but also communicate with two special vehicles. These vehicles are designed for a specific mission: the search for water ice on the Moon. One of the vehicles, called the Lunar Outpost rover, will explore an area known as Shackleton Connecting Ridge, while the other, the Micro-Nova hopper, will enter a lunar crater to gather vital data on the presence of ice.
The images of ice captured by these vehicles will be transmitted back to Earth in near real-time via the 4G network. This will be a groundbreaking achievement for lunar exploration, as it will allow for immediate feedback and analysis of data. Lunar ice is of particular interest to scientists because it could be used to create breathable oxygen for future astronauts, and even be converted into fuel for space missions. This makes the success of the lunar 4G network all the more crucial, as it could directly influence how humanity continues its exploration of space.
NASA’s Artemis program relies heavily on reliable communication systems, and the introduction of a 4G network on the Moon will be a game-changer for future missions. While astronauts currently communicate with Earth via radio, NASA aims to implement a system that can support high-resolution video and transmit vast amounts of scientific data. This will be especially important as Artemis missions become more complex and the need for efficient, high-speed data transfer increases.
Walt Engelund emphasized the critical nature of communication in the Artemis program, stating, “Being able to communicate on the Moon is critical to Artemis — as critical as any other mission element like power, water to drink, and air to breathe.” He went on to add, “Eventually, this effort will help establish a lunar communications network that could give our explorers the ability to beam scientific data back, confer with mission control, and talk to their families, as if they were walking down the street on their cellphones.”
In the future, the Moon could have its own form of off-world internet, similar to the networks we use on Earth. This would allow astronauts and potential settlers on the Moon to use smartphones, tablets, and computers to access Earth-based apps and services. Such a network could make living on the Moon more manageable, allowing for better communication and greater access to resources, including those from Earth. If successful, it could also serve as the blueprint for future space communication networks, including on Mars and other planets.
Nokia’s involvement in this mission goes beyond just building a 4G network. In 2020, Nokia’s Bell Labs received a $14.1 million grant from NASA’s Tipping Point initiative, which funds collaborations with private companies to develop technologies for space exploration. Bell Labs was chosen as part of NASA’s strategic push to involve the private sector in space development, particularly in the areas of communication technologies and infrastructure. In January, Nokia was selected by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to help build a communications services infrastructure that will ultimately serve as the framework for the lunar economy.
Thierry Klein, president of Bell Labs Solutions Research, highlighted the importance of communication technologies in the context of future lunar missions. “A future lunar economy will critically depend on communication technologies to collect and analyze data, share information, and maintain and control operations,” he said. “This includes sustaining a semi-permanent or permanent human presence on the Moon, as well as automated robotic operations for transportation, resource mining, mineral processing, and scientific data collection.”
The commercial applications of this technology could be significant as well. If Nokia’s 4G network can survive the challenging conditions of space – including the vacuum of space, extreme temperatures, and cosmic radiation – it could be deployed in some of the most extreme environments on Earth, such as the polar ice caps, deserts, or offshore platforms. This makes it highly adaptable to remote deployments and could be used in industries such as public safety, emergency response, disaster recovery, and defense.
Klein pointed out that compact, low-footprint network equipment that can be easily transported and deployed anywhere will be particularly beneficial in industrial sites or situations requiring robust communication in remote locations. This makes the lunar 4G network not just a pioneering achievement for space exploration but also a potentially transformative technology for terrestrial industries.
In conclusion, the collaboration between NASA and Nokia to bring a 4G network to the Moon represents a significant milestone in the journey to explore and colonize space. By providing reliable communication capabilities, it will enable astronauts to conduct more advanced scientific experiments, maintain contact with mission control, and ensure their safety as they explore the lunar surface. This technology could eventually serve as the foundation for a lunar economy and play a key role in humanity’s long-term exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. What begins with a simple 4G network on the Moon could, one day, lead to a vast and interconnected web of communication across the solar system.
