The US space agency NASA has signed a contract with Nokia America regarding the establishment of a 4G network on the Moon.
The contract between NASA and Nokia is worth 14.1 million euros, and the grant is part of other contracts worth 370 million dollars that were signed for the purpose of advancing research and development in the field of space research.
Nokia’s plan is to establish a 4G / LTE network and eventually make the transition to a 5G network, just like on Earth. It will be the first LTE / 4G communication system in space, claims NASA. The system could support communication on the lunar surface and over long distances.
The speed would be higher, and the connection more reliable compared to current standards. Nokia’s research subsidiary Bell Labs has revealed more details, and that is that the goal is to establish a network that will enable wireless operations of lunar rovers and navigation, as well as video streaming.
The network will be compact and efficient, specially designed to withstand extreme temperature, radiation, and vacuum in space. There are no deadlines for now, but it is known that NASA wants to have a lunar base on the Moon by 2028.
