Nokia’s is working on the creation of the first mobile communication system on the moon. Finnish telecommunications giant is developing a network LTE/4GIt will provide reliable communications for future lunar missions. An important component of this system could be put into operation by the end of the year.

As part of the Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission, Nokia’s specialized hardware will be delivered to the moon’s south pole to connect the Nova-C lunar lander, the MAPP Lunar Patrol rover, and the Intuitive Machines Micro-Nova lander to test the performance of the network. like neighbors and long distances.

“Communications will be the most important component of any future mission to the Moon or Mars, along with shelter, supplies and life support systems. Instead of building our own space network from scratch, we are using the same technologies that provide communications to billions of smartphones on Earth,” said Bell Labs Solutions Thierry Klein, head of Research Nokia.

in 2020 NASA resulted in Nokia’s A $14.1 million contract for the development of a lunar network under the Artemis program. A Finnish company is adapting ground equipment to operate in lunar conditions. Nokia’s lunar 4G/LTE network promises to provide much higher bandwidth than traditional space communications systems. This will speed up data exchange between astronauts and autonomous robots on the Moon. In the future, the network can be upgraded to 5G and adapted for Mars missions.

“Many missions to the Moon will be carried out in the next 20 years by different space agencies and companies with bases in different regions. It would be ineffective to create a separate communication system for everyone. It is much more logical to use a single infrastructure connecting all lunar bases,” Thierry Klein explained.

But the idea of ​​a mobile Internet on the Moon has some radio astronomers frightened. They are concerned about possible radio frequency interference from the network that could disrupt radio surveillance. But operators like Nokia can theoretically protect certain frequencies without creating interference for observatories.

If successful, Nokia’s lunar 4G network will be able to connect many international and commercial missions. This system could become an important infrastructure for the development of satellite Earth and the further expansion of humanity into space.