Nokia and Intuitive Machines, Inc. have announced the successful final integration of Nokia’s Lunar Surface Communication System (LSCS) into the IM-2 mission lander, Athena. Athena and the LSCS will journey to the lunar south pole region in the upcoming IM-2 mission, where Nokia and Intuitive Machines intend to deploy the first cellular network on the Moon.
The launch of Intuitive Machines’ Athena lander is scheduled for no earlier than late February, departing from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
What is Nokia’s LSCS?
The LSCS utilizes the same 4G/LTE cellular technology used by billions of devices on Earth, though Nokia Bell Labs reconceptualized the system to meet the unique requirements of a lunar mission. The network is engineered to handle surface connectivity between the lander and vehicles, supporting high-definition video streaming, command-and-control communications and telemetry data.
Thierry E. Klein, President of Bell Labs Solutions Research at Nokia, said, “We intend to prove that cellular technologies can provide the reliable, high-capacity and efficient connectivity needed for future crewed and uncrewed missions to the Moon and eventually Mars. Cellular technology has fundamentally transformed the way we communicate on Earth. There’s no reason it can’t do the same for communications on other worlds.”
In line with this, Intuitive Machines expects to relay data from the LSCS back to Earth using its direct-to-Earth data transmission service.
Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, said, “Whether it’s Nokia connecting surface assets, or Intuitive Machines’ ability to transmit that data back to Earth and establish lunar data relay satellites, these innovations are mainstay capabilities we believe will define the Artemis generation, and they were initiated through NASA leadership.”
Nokia’s Network Powers Lunar Missions
After months of testing and validation with Nokia Bell Labs, Intuitive Machines engineers installed the LSCS “network in a box” to one of Athena’s upper carbon-composite panels. Extensive precautions were taken during the installation to ensure that the network will safely make the 239,000-mile journey to the Moon, survive the stresses of take-off and landing, and operate optimally on the lunar surface.
Two device modules make up additional components of Nokia’s LSCS, and they have been installed in two other lunar mobility vehicles: Intuitive Machines’ Micro-Nova Hopper and Lunar Outpost’s Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover. Upon landing on the Moon, the two vehicles are designed to deploy on the lunar surface and immediately connect to the network on Athena using the Nokia device modules.
Nokia Bell Labs developed the LSCS, while Intuitive Machines created the Micro-Nova Hopper in collaboration with NASA’s Tipping Point initiative, which supports space technologies with commercial potential and benefits for future NASA missions.
Read More:
Rise of Autonomous Machines: Exploring Robotics and Drones
Stay Connected Anywhere: Verizon and Skylo Launch Satellite Messaging Revolution
Netcracker's Digital Satellite Solution Propels Satellite Industry Forward
