NASA-Nokia Partnership Builds First 4G Network on the Moon

by Mariama Bah, age 13

Recently, Nokia, a Finnish telecommunications and consumer electronics company, announced that they are developing the Moon’s first 4G cell network. The network will assist NASA’s Artemis team in their upcoming mission. Artemis is a new lunar exploration program that will put people on the Moon for the first time since 1970.

NASA has awarded a combined amount of $370 million to 14 different companies to develop technologies for the Artemis launch. This includes Nokia, whose US Bell Labs division is in charge of creating a 4G network to be deployed in a lunar landing in 2022. This network will help the astronauts with tasks such as data transmission, controlling lunar rovers, real time navigation, and lunar geography.

NASA’s goal is to build a lunar base and sustain human life on the Moon by 2028. Nokia’s chief technology officer, Marcus Weldon, says that the 4G network is the first step to achieving this. “Reliable, resilient and high-capacity communications networks will be key to supporting sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.”

[Sources: Madison.com ; CNN; Nokia ]

It is so interesting that humans are expanding our horizons this much. I look forward to hearing more about how the development of this cell network goes! – Alan , West High School (2021-02-09 14:27)

Wow! This is awesome, Mariama. Thank you for reporting on this. It’s amazing how far technology can take us. – Leilani , Madison West High School (2021-02-09 14:45)

This is an amazing article! I didn’t even know that this was taking place. Thank you for informing us! – Yoanna H. , La Follette High School (2021-02-09 15:16)

This is an amazing article! I didn’t even know that this was taking place. Thank you for informing us! – Yoanna H. , La Follette High School (2021-02-09 16:14)