While companies have been chasing satellite services on planet Earth, it looks like Nokia has been looking off-world towards the Moon, with intent to launch a 4G LTE network by the end of the year if all goes to plan. When this network goes live, it will provide a way of "enhancing lunar discoveries." Nokia will work with SpaceX to launch its network into space.

According to CNBC, Nokia will be sending a system into space, which consists of three parts: an "antenna-equipped base station stored in a Nova-C lunar lander designed by U.S. space firm Intuitive Machines, as well as by an accompanying solar-powered rover." If unfamiliar, the lander is a protective vessel that holds and transports the rover, allowing to safely land on a planet or a moon's surface. Once the lander has, well, landed, the rover can then roam around, sending information back to its base. The LTE connection will be connected between the lander and the rover.

As far as where Nokia will lay its claim, the firm will create its first LTE network on the Shackleton crater that lies near the south pole of the Moon. As you can imagine, the conditions of the moon are unlike the Earth's, where temperatures can reach as high as 250 degrees Fahrenheit and drop as low as -208 degrees Fahrenheit according to NASA. While you can probably imagine space tourists on the moon using the network to upload TikToks and Instagram Reels, that probably won't be happening for quite some time.

For the time being, this network will be used by NASA and will be a testing ground of sorts to see whether current cellular technology we've relied on for years can actually be applicable to use in the outer space. Some use cases of the technology will be communication between astronauts, and of course getting important data back to mission control on Earth. Although Nokia is ready to get its network up and working on the Moon, there are a lot of moving parts, so it will really be dependent on its partners to meet this timeline.

Source: CNBC

Via: The Verge