NASA Giving Nokia $14 Million to Build a 4G Network on Moon
- by Joann Nelson
- in Sci-tech
- — Dec 2, 2020
Nokia's chief technology officer, Marcus Weldon, said: "We are now building the first ever cellular communications network on the moon".
The project, which involves Nokia building a 4G cellular communication network on the moon, is part of a series of new contracts NASA is awarding for lunar surface research missions.
Nokia said the first wireless broadband communications system in space would be constructed on the lunar surface in late 2022, before humans make it back there.
"Working with our partners at (Intuitive Machines), this groundbreaking network will be the critical communications fabric for data transmission applications, including the control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation over lunar geography, and streaming of high definition video", a Nokia Bell Labs tweet about the $14.1 million award reads.
After delivery, the network will configure itself and set up the first LTE (Long-Term Evolution) communications system on the moon, Nokia said.
Nokia's LTE network - the precursor to 5G - is ideally suited for providing wireless connectivity for any activity that astronauts need to carry out, enabling voice and video communications capabilities, telemetry, and biometric data exchange, and deployment and control of robotic and sensor payloads.
The LTE tech will be developed by Nokia Bell Labs.
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Champ, the second German Shepard, was brought from a breeder as a puppy soon after the 2008 United States election. This will be completely different from the Trump family which had no pet in their four years at the White House.
Nokia's lunar network consists of an LTE Base Station with integrated Evolved Packet Core (EPC) functionalities, LTE User Equipment, RF antennas and high-reliability operations and maintenance (O&M) control software.
"We are excited to see our investments and collaborative partnerships bring about new technologies for the Moon and beyond while also benefiting the commercial sector" says NASA's Jim Reuter.
Also, it will withstand the sizable vibrational impact at the launch and landing at the lunar surface. Okay, maybe that's a stretch, but the company has taken a very keen interest in developing technology for lunar missions.
The contracts are geared toward NASA's Tipping Point program, which funds technologies that, if proved successful, are likely to be adopted by private industry.
The space agency's Artemis programme aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon within the next decade.
Without a doubt, the mission will be a milestone of success in the journey of expanding beyond Earth.
