Two organizations belonging to various sectors, the POTfrom the space field, and Nokia, a telecommunications specialist, partnered in an initiative that, following Neil Armstrong’s famous phrase, will represent a “great step for humanity” beyond Earth. With the collaboration of SpaceX, they will launch a mission to put into operation a 4G connectivity network in space.
4G beyond Earth: the joint project of NASA and Nokia
This year there will be launched a SpaceX rocket that will take 4G to the Moon. The lunar landing module will install the system at the south pole of the satellite, which will be controlled from Earth. The precise date for takeoff has not yet been announced.
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He joint project between the United States space agency and Nokia Bell Labs It gets underway as we approach the return of humans to the Moon. With a recently revised schedule, NASA plans to return with crew members to our planet’s natural satellite towards the end of 2026, within the framework of the Artemis missions. For the first time, a woman will be part of the group of astronauts. The last time one of ours was in that place more than five decades ago, in 1972 (Apollo 17).
“The first challenge in getting a network up and running is having space-qualified cellular equipment that meets the appropriate size, weight, and power requirements, as well as be implemented without a technician on site«, he explained to cnn Walt Engelund of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. In addition, the system must be suitable to operate in the hostile lunar environment, with extreme temperatures and radiation.
Following the source, Intuitive Machines, the privately funded aerospace group that recently achieved its own feat by successfully landing an exploration module on the moon, also participates in the initiative.
The search for ice on the Moon will be broadcast via streaming to the earth
Once the new module is deployed with 4G technology to operate in space, will be linked to two vehicles that will have their own mission: search for ice on the Moon. One of the vehicles, the rover Outpost, you will explore the area known as Shackleton Connecting Ridge; while the other, the Micro-Nova Hopper, will study a crater to look for evidence of frozen water. The images will be transmitted via streaming to Earth, almost in real time, through the cellular network.
The search for ice on the Moon – current research agrees that there are reserves on the Earth’s satellite – is one of the primary focuses of the scientific missions that fly to that destination. The availability of this resource is relevant, since it will allow human subsistence, long-term stays, and will also serve for the operation of vehicles. For the rest, it will be key for the lunar presence to serve as a trampoline to fly to other planets, starting with Mars.
Cosmic Internet: how do astronauts communicate now in space and how will they do so in the future?
Currently, astronauts communicate with each other through radio systems. The plan now facing NASA foresees the availability of a communications environment capable of supporting high-resolution videos and scientific data, Engelund said. “Being able to communicate on the Moon is fundamental for Artemis, as fundamental as any other element of the mission, such as energy, water to drink and air to breathe,” said the NASA representative.
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The step is not trivial. “Over time, this effort will help establish a lunar communications network that could give our explorers the ability to transmit scientific data, consult with mission control and talk to their families, as if they were walking down the street with their cell phones,” he added. In Creole, this technology would allow astronauts to use the same applications that we have here on Earth. From posting a photo on Instagram, uploading a video to TikTok, to chatting on WhatsApp.