NASA and Nokia Unveil First Mobile Network on the Moon

NASA has partnered with Nokia to establish the first mobile network on the Moon as part of the Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission.

The Lunar Surface Communication System (LSCS), developed by Nokia, is set to be deployed on Thursday. It will utilize the same cellular technology that we use on Earth to create connectivity on the Moon's surface.

This innovative mobile network will manage communications between the lander and various vehicles. It will support high-definition video streaming, command-and-control communications, and telemetry data transmission.

Thierry Klein, the president of Nokia Bell Labs Solutions Research, has indicated that this network is designed to withstand the harsh conditions of space, including radiation, extreme temperatures, and vibrations that occur during launch, flight, and landing.

All necessary components for this network are housed within a compact device referred to as a “network in a box.” This box contains everything needed to set up a mobile cell network, apart from the antenna and power source.

The mission will involve two lunar mobility vehicles: the Intuitive Machines Micro-Nova Hopper and the Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover from Lunar Outpost. These vehicles will operate on the lunar surface and will use the device modules to connect to the network provided by the Athena lander. However, it is important to note that this network will only function for a limited time, specifically for a few days due to the lunar night cycle.

This groundbreaking network initiative lays the foundation for future lunar missions, particularly the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon as soon as 2028.

Nokia is also exploring the integration of cellular communications into spacesuits for lunar astronauts. Klein explained, “Perhaps one network in a box, or just one tower, could provide full coverage, or we might need several of these. This concept is similar to what we see in terrestrial cell network deployments.”

Simultaneously, NASA’s Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment 1 (PRIME-1) will also take place alongside the mobile network mission. PRIME-1 aims to showcase the ability to drill into the Moon’s surface, extract regolith, and analyze the presence of volatiles using a mass spectrometer.

NASA, Nokia, Moon