Talking on the moon: Nasa and Nokia to install 4G on lunar surface

[Judi Lynn]

Move is part of US space agency’s plan to establish a long-term human presence on the moon by 2030

Agence France-Presse
Mon 19 Oct 2020 19.45 EDT

With competition among Earth’s telecoms providers as fierce as ever, equipment maker Nokia has announced its expansion into a new market, winning a deal to install the first cellular network on the moon.

The Finnish equipment manufacturer said it was selected by Nasa to deploy an “ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened” wireless 4G network on the lunar surface, as part of the US space agency’s plan to establish a long-term human presence on the moon by 2030.

The $14.1m contract, awarded to Nokia’s US subsidiary, is part of Nasa’s Artemis programme which aims to send the first woman, and next man, to the moon by 2024.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/oct/20/talking-on-the-moon-nasa-and-nokia-to-install-4g-on-lunar-surface

[Sherman A1]

1. Interesting

And cool 😎.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

2. I was about to lament that, if we're going back...

... to the Moon, then people should install a huge telescope on the far side that's always facing away from the Earth. Then use a lunar orbiter for communication.

I apparently missed that plan from months ago, using an impact crater as support for the structure!
https://www.space.com/nasa-telescope-far-side-of-moon.html