4G connection: Nasa embarks on new lunar venture

The US space agency Nasa and Finland’s multinational telecommunication firm Nokia joined hands with a shared vision to establish cellular communication on the Moon as humans are gearing up to set up a base on the lunar surface to explore other planets.

Walt Engelund, deputy associate administrator for programs at Nasa’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, told CNN: "The first challenge to getting a network up and running is having a space-qualified cellular equipment that meets the appropriate size, weight, and power requirements, as well as being deployed without a technician."

The equipment from Earth will be taken by Elon Musk’s SpaceX via its rocket this year. It will be installed with the help of another aerospace company Intuitive Machines lunar lander.

When the 4G network unit is installed on the South Pole, it will controlled from Earth. Its composition would be such that it could sustain itself in a harsh environment.

The 4G network will be connected with the lander via radio. And two other roaming spacecrafts Lunar Outpost rover and the Micro-Nova Hopper are aimed at finding ice on the Moon.

Lunar ice would be used to create breathable oxygen and space vehicle fuel.

The cell communication for Nasa’s Artemis mission would be invaluable as the agency needs a communications system capable of supporting high-resolution video and data.

Nokia was shortlisted for building communication systems by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to build a framework for the lunar economy.