New Delhi : The US space agency NASA plans to develop a 4G mobile network on the moon. For this, the company has also given a contract to the telecom company Nokia. Nokia will first establish a 4G/LTE network on the moon. After that it will upgrade it to 5G. Nokia will be provided a fund of USD 14.1 million to start work on behalf of NASA.
There will be better communication on the moon’s surface
The fund is part of a contract worth USD 370 million under NASA’s ‘tipping point’ selection, aimed at furthering research and development to further explore space. NASA, in its official announcement, said that this 4G system can support communication over the lunar surface in more distance, faster speed and in a better way.
NASA has selected a total of 14 US companies, including Nokia, for its moon mission. A total fund of USD 370 million has been allocated for this mission. The US Space Agency aims to develop a range of technologies to pave the way for permanent Artemis operations on the Moon by the end of this decade.
To the moon! 🌕
We are excited to have been named by @NASA as a key partner to advance “Tipping Point” technologies for the moon, to help pave the way towards sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.
So, what technology can you expect to see? (1/6) pic.twitter.com/wDNwloyHdP
— Bell Labs (@BellLabs) October 15, 2020
Selected companies include SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Nokia, Sierra Nevada, SSL Robotics and United Launch Alliance (ULA). According to United Press International, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a live broadcast that if NASA wants to meet its goal of seeing astronauts working on the moon by 2028, it will have to develop new technologies rapidly. He said that we need a power system that can stay on the lunar surface for a long time, and we also have to develop the ability to migrate to the moon.
At the same time, Bell Labs, Nokia’s research arm, expressed the pleasure of getting the contract on Twitter. It wrote, ‘We are excited to have been named by @NASA as a key partner to advance “Tipping Point” technologies for the moon, to help pave the way towards sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.’