In a groundbreaking collaboration with NASA, Intuitive Machines, and Lunar Outpost, Nokia is preparing to launch the first-ever cellular network on the moon. This “giant leap” for lunar communications will involve sending a special 4G LTE network housed in a compact unit.
The target launch window is late 2024, with a specific timeframe dependent on lunar lighting conditions. SpaceX will mount the network equipment on a Falcon 9 rocket and it will travel alongside Intuitive Machines’ lander.Upon landing at the moon’s south pole, the Nokia unit will be activated, creating a localized cellular zone.
This “network in a box” is built with redundancy to ensure reliability. It will provide connectivity for mobile devices carried by a Lunar Outpost rover and a small “hopper” designed to explore craters and crevices.
The mission, designated IM-2, aims to search for evidence of water ice deposits in the lunar south pole, an area with extended periods of sunlight that are crucial for the rover and hopper’s operations. A lunar day can last nearly a month, but the specific landing window will provide roughly two weeks of lunar daylight for optimal mission execution.
This project builds upon the success of Intuitive Machines’ prior lunar landing mission (IM-1) on February 22nd, 2024, which marked the first commercial spacecraft to touch down on the moon. While IM-1 landed on its side unexpectedly, it still functioned as planned.
The IM-2 mission with Nokia’s lunar network represents a significant step forward in establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon. This technology will pave the way for faster and more reliable communication for future lunar exploration endeavors