Nokia Validates First Cellular Network on Moon, Despite Call Setback

Nokia Validates First Cellular Network on Moon, Despite Call Setback
Finnish telecom gear vendor Nokia announced on Monday, March 10, that it had successfully delivered and validated the first cellular network on the Moon as part of the Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission to the lunar south pole region. The IM-2 mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and Nokia’s technology demonstration was funded in part by NASA’s Tipping Point initiative.

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Also Read: Nokia and Intuitive Machines to Deploy First Cellular Network on the Moon

Validating the Moon’s First Cellular Network

Nokia said it had successfully validated key aspects of the network’s operation, including the transmission of operational data to Intuitive Machines’’ ground station and Nokia’s mission control center on Earth and the activation of multiple communication solution components.

Nokia Bell Labs’ Lunar Surface Communications System (LSCS), a “network in a box” (NIB) installed on the Athena lander, powered on and established communication with both Intuitive Machines’ ground station and Nokia’s mission control center in Sunnyvale, California. The system operated without interruption during a critical 25-minute power window, confirming the functionality of its base station, radio, and network core, according to Nokia.

“NIB telemetry data confirmed a successful operational “on-air” state, indicating that all its subcomponents — base station, radio and network core — were all functioning properly,” Nokia said.

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Power Limitations and Extreme Cold

However, the first cellular call on the Moon could not be placed due to power limitations caused by the orientation of the Athena lander’s solar panels after landing. Initially, the LSCS module aboard Intuitive Machines’ Micro Nova Hopper showed signs of proper operation. But when the NIB was later activated, extreme cold had rendered the Hopper module inoperable, preventing a connection.