First extraterrestrial cellular service? Nokia chosen by NASA to set up 4G network on the Moon

The move is part of the US space agency's plan to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon by 2030.

|Oct 30, 2020, 11:26:31 IST

With competition among Earth's telecoms providers as fierce as ever, equipment maker Nokia announced its expansion into a new market on Monday, winning a deal to install the first cellular network on the Moon.The Finnish equipment manufacturer said it was selected by NASA to deploy an "ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened" wireless 4G network on the lunar surface, as part of the US space agency's plan to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon by 2030.The $14.1 million contract, awarded to Nokia's US subsidiary, is part of NASA's Artemis programme which aims to send the first woman, and next man, to the moon by 2024.The astronauts will begin carrying out detailed experiments and explorations which the agency hopes will help it develop its first human mission to Mars.[caption id="attachment_8966411" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

Testing lunar 4G operations. Image: Nokia[/caption]Nokia's network equipment will be installed remotely on the Moon's surface using a lunar hopper built by Intuitive Machines in late 2022, Nokia said."The network will self-configure upon deployment," the firm said in a statement, adding that the wireless technology will allow for "vital command and control functions, remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and streaming of high definition video."The 4G equipment can be updated to a super-fast 5G network in the future, Nokia said.In all, NASA announced last week it would distribute $370 million to 14 companies to supply "Tipping Point" technologies for its mission, which include robotics and new methods of harvesting the resources required for living on the moon, such as oxygen and energy sources.The bulk of the funding went to companies researching cryogenic propellants, freezing liquids used to fuel spacecraft.Among them, Elon Musk's SpaceX received $53.2 million for a demonstration of the transferring of ten metric tons of liquid oxygen between tanks on a starship vehicle, NASA said.

Careless Whispers: Scientists discover that plants can 'talk' to each other using smells

Japanese scientists have recorded a video that shows plants, in certain conditions, communicate with each other using mists that carry smells. The discovery, reveals that plants release a fine mist of airborne compounds, to warn nearby plants of potential dangers

Life on Mars? European Space Agency’s Orbiter discovers ice water deposits at equator

European Space Agency's Mars Express Orbiter has identified massive ice and ice water deposits beneath the surface of Mars. The Mars Express orbiter was also the first to confirmed the presence of ice on Mars in 2004

Microsoft briefly overtakes Apple as the most valuable company, Apple back on top again

At its peak during the session, Microsoft's value reached $2.903 trillion, with a 2% surge. As of writing this article, Apple closed at $2.89 trillion, whereas Microsoft closed at $2.86 trillion

Even NASA is facing a tough time, starts layoffs following major budget cuts

NASA is facing some massive budget cuts, because of which, it has been forced to postpone some upcoming missions. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been hit hard by recent federal budget cuts, resulting in the layoff of 100 contractors last week

ISRO, NASA's NISAR satellite to get ready by Jan-end, will monitor Earth's snow-covered regions

The NISAR satellite which has been developed jointly ISRO and NASA, should be ready for launch by the end of January 2024. The collaboration between NASA and ISRO on NISAR is the first time the two agencies have cooperated on hardware development for an Earth-observing mission

Up Next