Nokia to Deploy First LTE/4G Network in Space

Nokia has been named by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a partner to advance “Tipping Point” technologies for the Moon, deploying the first LTE/4G communications system in space and helping pave the way towards sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.

In a statement, the Finnish telecommunications company says Nokia Bell Labs’ innovations will be used to build and deploy the first ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened, end-to-end LTE solution on the lunar surface in late 2022.

It notes Nokia is partnering with Intuitive Machines for this mission to integrate this ground-breaking network into its lunar lander and deliver it to the lunar surface.

The network will self-configure upon deployment and establish the first LTE communications system on the Moon, it says.

According to Nokia, 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.

These communication applications are all vital to long-term human presence on the lunar surface, says Nokia.

Nokia’s LTE network – the precursor to 5G – is ideally suited for providing wireless connectivity for any activity that astronauts need to carry out, enabling voice and video communications capabilities, telemetry and biometric data exchange, and deployment and control of robotic and sensor payloads, it adds.

Marcus Weldon, chief technology officer at Nokia and Nokia Bell Labs president, says: “Leveraging our rich and successful history in space technologies, from pioneering satellite communication to discovering the cosmic microwave background radiation produced by the Big Bang, we are now building the first ever cellular communications network on the Moon.

“Reliable, resilient and high-capacity communications networks will be key to supporting sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. By building the first high-performance wireless network solution on the Moon, Nokia Bell Labs is once again planting the flag for pioneering innovation beyond the conventional limits.”

The company points out that Nokia’s lunar network consists of an LTE Base Station with integrated Evolved Packet Core functionalities, LTE User Equipment, RF antennas and high-reliability operations and maintenance control software.

It explains that the solution has been specially designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the launch and lunar landing, and to operate in the extreme conditions of space.

The fully integrated cellular network meets the stringent size, weight and power constraints of space payloads in an extremely compact form factor, says Nokia.

Through the Tipping Point solicitation, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate seeks industry-developed space technologies that can foster the development of commercial space capabilities and benefit future NASA missions.

The public-private partnerships established through Tipping Point selections combine NASA resources with industry contributions, shepherding the development of critical space technologies.

NASA plans to leverage these innovations for its Artemis programme, which will establish sustainable operations on the Moon by the end of the decade in preparation for an expedition to Mars.