The Moon is now online. What's next?

Nokia successfully deployed an LTE (4G) network on the Moon as part of a groundbreaking mission to enhance lunar communications. The Finnish telecom giant partnered with NASA and space technology firms to establish a reliable, high-speed wireless network on the lunar surface, marking a significant step toward sustained human and robotic presence beyond Earth.

A Giant Leap for Lunar Connectivity

The LTE network is hosted on a lunar lander developed by Intuitive Machines, which landed on the Moon as part of NASA's Artemis program. The system includes a compact LTE base station and user equipment designed to operate in the extreme conditions of space. The network will support real-time communication for astronauts, control rovers, and facilitate data transmission for scientific experiments.

Marcus Weldon, Nokia's Chief Technology Officer, emphasized the importance of the milestone:

"Establishing the first-ever LTE network on the Moon is a major step toward enabling long-term human exploration. This technology will provide critical connectivity for future missions and pave the way for a permanent lunar presence."

How LTE Will Power Lunar Missions

Unlike traditional space communication systems, which rely on radio links with Earth, LTE technology enables more efficient, low-latency connectivity for astronauts and robotic explorers. Key applications include:

• Astronaut Communication: Voice and video calls between astronauts and mission control.
• Rover Operations: Real-time telemetry, remote control, and HD video streaming from lunar rovers.
• Scientific Data Transmission: Faster relay of experiment results and environmental readings.
• Resource Utilization: Support for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) efforts, such as lunar mining and habitat construction.

Challenges and Future Plans

Deploying an LTE network in space posed significant engineering challenges. The equipment had to be lightweight, energy-efficient, and resilient against extreme temperatures, radiation, and lunar dust. Nokia's solution underwent rigorous testing before launch to ensure seamless operation in the Moon's harsh conditions.

This lunar LTE deployment is expected to serve as the foundation for a future 5G network on the Moon, supporting more advanced technologies such as autonomous lunar vehicles and smart habitats. The project aligns with NASA's goal of establishing a Lunar Gateway and a permanent Artemis Base Camp by the 2030s.

A New Era of Space Connectivity

Nokia's lunar network represents a pivotal advancement in space exploration technology. With reliable connectivity, future missions will be better equipped to conduct research, communicate with Earth, and lay the groundwork for human settlement beyond our planet.

This marks the beginning of an interplanetary telecom revolution, where space-based networks could extend beyond the Moon, providing connectivity for Mars missions and beyond.

Details

Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation, originally established as a pulp mill in 1865. Nokia's main headquarters are in Espoo, Finland, in the Helsinki metropolitan area, but the company's actual roots are in the Tampere region of Pirkanmaa. In 2020, Nokia employed approximately 92,000 people across over 100 countries, did business in more than 130 countries, and reported annual revenues of around €23 billion. Nokia is a public limited company listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki and New York Stock Exchange. It was the world's 415th-largest company measured by 2016 revenues, according to the Fortune Global 500, having peaked at 85th place in 2009. It is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index.