The moon is getting 4G
Space walkers just might be able to use their phone on the moon in two years’ time after NASA selected Nokia to build a 4G mobile network on the orbiting celestial body.
The space agency is granting US $14.1 million (AU $19.98 million) to the Finnish telecommunications firm to build out an “ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened” 4G communications system.
The 4G network will allow astronauts to make phone and video calls, send biometric data, and deploy payloads, according to Nokia, and is also designed for long-term human presence on the moon.
Eventually, 5G will be launched on the moon as well.
“The network will provide critical communication capabilities for many different data transmission applications, including vital command and control functions, remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and streaming of high definition video,” Nokia said in a statement.
“These communication applications are all vital to long-term human presence on the lunar surface.”
In a blog post, NASA named Nokia as just one of several organisations receiving funding for its Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative, which invests in technologies designed to help humans and robots further explore the moon.
Nokia’s technology is “terrestrial” inspired, the space agency said.
“The system could support lunar surface communications at greater distances, increased speeds, and provide more reliability than current standards,” said NASA.
The new 4G network will be designed in order to withstand tough conditions of launch and lunar landing, and the “extreme” conditions of space.
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