Nokia to set up 4G/LTE network on the moon, according to NASA

In an astounding series of events, NASA has awarded Nokia - a former cellular giant - a $14.1 million contract to deploy a cellular network on the moon; more likely in the context of NASA’s Artemis Program, which seeks to establish small colonies and conduct exploration on the planet by 2024.

This grant is part of a whopping $370 million worth of contracts under NASA’s “Tipping Point” program, meant to use both commercial and public partners to advance research and development for space exploration. Nokia’s plan is to build a 4G/LTE network (which would eventually be enhanced to a 5G network), making it the first advanced telecommunications network in space.

The announcement read, “the system could support lunar surface communications at greater distances, increased speeds, and provide more reliability than current standards”, with Nokia’s research arm “Bell Labs” adding that the network is built to be compact and efficient, as well as "specially designed to withstand the extreme temperature, radiation and vacuum conditions of space."