This innovative collaboration, between the US space agency and the telecommunications company, would not only enable real-time communication from the lunar surface, but also open the doors to future exploration and colonization missions. The ability to transmit high-resolution video and scientific data instantly represents a significant advance in our ability to understand and harness the resources of Earth’s natural satellite.
What is the project that NASA plans with Nokia to bring internet to the Moon?
A mission of SpaceX will transport a lunar landing module equipped with a 4G network to the south pole of the Moon this year, controlled from Earth. This module will allow the essential data transmissionsuch as the search for frozen water carried out by the Micro-Nova Hopper robot, which will be key for future lunar exploration missions planned by NASA for 2026. Still, the challenge lies in developing qualified equipment, with weight, size and adequate energy, which can operate in the hostile lunar environment characterized by extreme temperatures and radiation.
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The astronauts saw the Earth emerge on the lunar surface.
How NASA astronauts communicate today
Currently, astronauts rely on a radio system to communicate, which limits the quality and quantity of information they can transmit from space. The installation of Internet on the Moon, provided by the 4G network, would allow NASA to transmit high-resolution videos of space missions, giving the inhabitants of Earth a unique vision of what is happening in the universe.
According to Walt Engelund, from the Space Technology Mission Directorate of the US space agency, being able to communicate on the Moon is fundamental to the Artemis programand 4G technology is as important as water to drink and air to breathe.
