The Finnish telecommunications company Nokia intends to deploy its 4G (LTE) mobile network on the Moon this year for use by NASA’s Artemis mission. According to Nokia chief engineer Luis de Teminho, the equipment will be delivered to the Earth satellite on a SpaceX spacecraft, which is expected to launch in the coming months.
The network will be deployed in Shackleton Crater at the Moon’s South Pole. Communications will initially be between the lander and the unmanned rover ahead of NASA’s manned mission to the Moon next year.
Nokia’s plans to deploy a 4G mobile network on the Moon became known about two years ago. Now, approximate launch dates have also been indicated. NASA is confident in the need for cellular communication on the Moon: according to the agency, the signal stability and ease of connection, as well as the range of contact, will allow us to abandon the less reliable traditional radio communications.