Later this month, Intuitive Machines (IM), a private company, will launch its second moon mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, MIT Technology Review reports (unpaywalled copy).
The mission includes a lander, a rover, and a hopper that jumps short distances. They will explore near the lunar south pole, a spot that might have water ice. A satellite for communication will also orbit the moon.
This mission introduces something new: a 4G cellular network on the moon. A cellular network lets many devices talk to each other wirelessly, like phones on Earth. Until now, space used point-to-point radio, where signals go straight from one antenna to another. This worked fine with few devices, like a single rover talking to Earth. Data throughput (how much info moves) was low back then.
A network in a box
NASA’s Artemis program plans to return astronauts to the moon by 2028 and build a permanent habitat by the 2030s. More devices need faster, longer-range connections. A cell network solves this. Nokia built a tough “network in a box” to handle space’s harsh radiation, extreme heat or cold, and launch vibrations. The lander’s antenna and solar panels (for power) complete it.
For this IM-2 mission, the 4G network links the lander, rover, and hopper. It may only last a few days since lunar nights are brutal. Nokia dreams bigger, planning a 4G or 5G network for Artemis habitats and even spacesuits. Klein says one box might cover it all, or more could be added, like on Earth.
Not everyone likes this. The 4G frequencies (radio signal ranges) overlap with radio astronomy (studying stars via radio waves). This could mess up telescope observations. It could add noise to the sky, complicating radio astronomy. Plus, 4G isn’t allowed in lunar radio rules. Nokia got a special pass for this mission but needs new frequencies for the future.