They have tasked Nokia with making it a reality
It seems like the next logical step, really, since 4G has basically conquered planet earth. It can even be found on offshore oil rigs and atop Mount Everest, but the moon?
It's actually not as crazy as it sounds. The system is on track to launch in 2022, giving future astronauts the ability to stream high-definition video even when they’re off-planet—and bringing a sustainable human presence on the moon a little bit closer.
After all, the goal of NASA's Artemis program is to establish a permanent human presence on the moon by the end of this decade. So, if we're going to have people there on a permanent basis, then they're going to need a reliable way of communicating with earth. The American space agency has decided that 4G connectivity is the solution.
It's certainly a big job, but not without precedent. After all, the astronauts living and working on the International Space Station (ISS) have been using Wi-Fi since 2008, and are even capable of live streaming space walks, thanks to gear added to their space suits.
All we need now is a latte
For their part, Nokia has been tasked with creating a local network on the moon, to extend across roughly five kilometers, designed to enable seamless communications between astronauts and equipment on the ground. This, however, would naturally be tied into the proprietary system NASA has already developed to enable communications between space and the Earth. That would ultimately give our moon-based humans access to the 'net, even while camped out on the moon.
The project, for which Nokia will be paid $14.1 million, aims to create the lunar communications infrastructure necessary for voice and video calls, data transmission, robotic controls, and real-time navigation—think Google Maps, but for astronauts. The company’s R&D arm, Bell Labs, is partnering with Intuitive Machines to deploy the system to the moon. Nokia says that the system will be designed to withstand launch and landing as well as the harsh conditions of space. Eventually, the company’s goal is to upgrade the 4G network to 5G.
The network would, be useful for more than live streaming videos from the moon to earth or enabling quick communications. Once in place, Nokia's network would make it a simple matter for astronauts to remote-pilot drones, rovers and similar equipment, which would make it easier to get useful work done on the moon's surface.
The Tipping Point program
The 4G network is part of NASA’s Tipping Point public-private partnership program. NASA awarded $400 million to a variety of companies to build lunar technologies. Other companies are focusing on cryogenic fluid management, energy production and storage, and precision landing. It’s not the only project focused on enabling the kind of technology we’re used to here on Earth: Astrobotic Technology was a winner of a NASA grant to build a way to quickly and wirelessly charge electronics on the moon.
This series of grants are part of NASA’s project Artemis, in which the agency is planning to send man back to the moon by 2024 and establish a lunar base by 2028.
Why build a cellular network in the first place, when NASA hasn’t yet finished planning the lunar base? “Reliable, resilient, and high-capacity communications networks will be key to supporting sustainable human presence on the lunar surface,” Nokia CTO and Bell Labs President Marcus Weldon said.
My perspective
It's an exciting project, and over the next few years, we can expect to see, hear, and learn more about the details. A grand adventure indeed!
You can just about hear a tiny alien voice saying - " E.T. phone home"
By Denis Wilson
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