The possibility of communicating from the Moon as if we were on Earth is getting closer to becoming a reality, thanks to an ambitious collaboration between NASA and Nokia.
These two entities join forces to implement the first 4G network on the lunar surface, a project that marks the beginning of a new era in space exploration. With the launch of a SpaceX rocket scheduled for this year 2024, which will take this communication technology to space, this project seeks to revolutionize lunar operations.
NASA intends to deploy two vehicles to the Moon as part of its next mission: The Lunar Outpost rover will be in charge of investigating the region called Shackleton Connecting Ridge, while the Micro-Nova hopper is assigned the mission of entering a crater to discover evidence of never-before-seen water ice.
Images of lunar ice will be sent via the new cellular network to the lander and from there to Earth with minimal delay.
Nokia’s contribution, backed by a $14.1 million grant received in 2020is essential for the development of a robust communications infrastructure that supports scientific exploration.
Nokia’s role in this project, specifically through Bell Labs, its research and development arm, is to design, build and deploy the 4G base station unit that will be installed on the Moon. This technology will enable high-quality communication between equipment on the lunar surface and with Earth, thus supporting scientific and exploratory missions.
The Nokia base station will use a series of commercial components, adapted to meet the strict space requirements in terms of size, weight and power consumption, and above all, designed to operate in the harsh lunar conditions, including extreme temperature variations. and high radiation.
In this historic mission to install a 4G network on the Moon, SpaceX plays a key role by being the company in charge of launching the rocket that will carry the equipment necessary to establish connectivity.
What is striking about this collaboration is that, despite the close relationship between SpaceX and Starlink, the latter has not been selected as the provider of the lunar internet system. It should be added that both companies are owned by South African businessman Elon Musk, who also owns X.
This project aims to deploy a 4G network on the satellite, which constitutes a crucial step in establishing a robust communication infrastructure outside our planet.
First of all, The presence of a cellular network on the Moon allows for efficient, high-quality communication between astronauts on the lunar surface and mission control on Earth.
This is vital to the success of complex missions, as it facilitates the near real-time transmission of scientific data, images, and high-resolution video, allowing scientists and technicians on Earth to analyze critical information with minimal latency.
On the other hand, the implementation of advanced communications on the Moon is an essential step to sustain long-term human presences. It would facilitate not only communication between astronauts and with Earth, but also between them and possible lunar infrastructures.
It would also lay the foundation so that in the future, inhabitants of lunar bases could use personal devices to access services similar to those available on Earth, so astronauts can have contact with their loved ones.
