What you need to know
- Nokia plans to launch 4G on the moon.
- As part of NASA’s Artemis program, Nokia has promised to have the network up and running by the end of this year.
- The necessary infrastructure will be provided through Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets.
While carriers continue to roll out 5G services and replace older networks on Earth, Nokia plans to launch 4G LTE service on the moon.
As noted in a CNBC report, Nokia is preparing to launch a 4G LTE network on the moon later this year to boost lunar communications. This is part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send humans to the moon.
To be clear, Nokia here is involved with the Finnish-based telecommunications group, not the brand that makes Android devices handled by HMD Global. According to Nokia principal his engineer Luis Maestro Luis de his Temino, the company plans to launch his 4G network via his SpaceX rocket in the coming months.
Intuitive Machines, a US-based company, will design the Nova-C lunar lander with base stations equipped with antennas to establish connections. It will also be accompanied by a solar-powered rover, and an LTE connection will be established between the lander and the rover.
The rigged 4G infrastructure will land in Shackleton Crater at the South Pole of the Moon. The crater’s rim is said to be continuously exposed to sunlight to help the rover draw power.
CNBC goes on to say that Nokia’s 4G technology is designed to withstand the harsh conditions of space, given that the moon’s atmosphere is very confined.
Nokia also believes the network has great potential for future space missions, as it establishes connections that allow astronauts to communicate with each other. The company says the rover’s remote he controls, streaming real-time video and telemetry he also helps transmit data to Earth.
Since being selected, Nokia has worked to build the first-ever cellular network. (opens in new tab) Announced by NASA in 2020. Nokia says it will be a key component of NASA’s Artemis program by providing a network that provides critical communications capabilities “essential to long-term human presence on the moon.”
Things seem to be on track for Nokia to launch a 4G network on the moon. This follows his Amazon moon landing effort last year.
