No, this is not a joke. Before the end of the decade, astronauts will be able to communicate on the moon. NASA has announced it will partner with Nokia to build and implement a cellular network on the moon, as part of the “Tipping Point” selections, meant to advance research and development for space exploration.
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Nokia will initially build a 4G (or LTE) network on the moon, with plans to eventually transition to a 5G network.
To the moon! 🌕
— Bell Labs (@BellLabs) October 15, 2020
We are excited to have been named by @NASA as a key partner to advance “Tipping Point” technologies for the moon, to help pave the way towards sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.
So, what technology can you expect to see? (1/6) pic.twitter.com/wDNwloyHdP
It will be “the first LTE/4G communications system in space,” according to NASA’s announcement. “The system could support lunar surface communications at greater distances, increased speeds, and provide more reliability than current standards.”
The budget for the 4G network is set at $14.1 million, which could be expanded as the Tipping Point project expands. A total of $370 million in contracts was allocated by NASA for the mission at the recent announcement.
According to Bell Labs, the research arm under the Nokia umbrella responsible for the technology, they intend for the network to support wireless operation of lunar rovers and navigation, as well as streaming video. It is built to be compact and efficient, as it needs to survive the rigours of space. It is “specially designed to withstand the extreme temperature, radiation and vacuum conditions of space.”
NASA has mentioned that the network would not only work for vehicles and ground stations on the surface of the moon, but would also extend to its aircraft. We don’t have definite details about timelines yet, but the NASA plans to have a fully functioning lunar base by 2028.
The other remaining question is how (or even if) this technology will allow communication between the moon and our internet on earth. While that would be an amazing achievement, we suspect that is still some time off.
