Nokia and Intuitive Machines to test 4G network on the Moon’s South Pole

When cell phones first became ubiquitous, they allowed people to call from previously inconceivable places — the park, the swimming pool, the car, and everywhere else — but calling on the Moon? That remained firmly in the realm of sci-fi fantasy… until now. Because while you were busy doomscrolling, something truly astronomical was happening.

Nokia and Intuitive Machines have completed the final integration of Nokia’s Lunar Surface Communication System (LSCS) into Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission lander, named Athena. The mission, scheduled to launch no earlier than late February from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, will carry a lander, a rover, and a hopper to the Moon’s south pole region, an area believed to contain water ice deposits. The IM-2 mission will also deploy a communications satellite in lunar orbit.

First lunar cellular network

Nokia’s plan to establish a 4G/LTE cellular network on the lunar surface is central to the mission. This is the first time such technology has been deployed on the Moon or in any other space environment. Standard point-to-point radio communications have historically connected spacecraft. Still, with multiple lunar vehicles and upcoming crewed missions under NASA’s Artemis program, the demand for more robust, higher-capacity connectivity is increasing.

“They were based on [ultra-high frequency] or [very high frequency] technologies connecting a small number of devices with relatively low data throughput,” said Thierry Klein, president of Bell Labs Solutions Research at Nokia, quoted in MIT Technology Review, “We intend to demonstrate 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.”

Hardware adapted for lunar conditions

The LSCS “network in a box” contains essential cell infrastructure components attached to one of Athena’s carbon-composite panels. Engineers took steps to protect this hardware from deep-space conditions by integrating it into Athena’s Thermal Protection System, which insulates electronics from extreme temperatures. The lander’s solar panels will power the network, and antennas on Athena will transmit signals between the lander and lunar vehicles.

Nokia has also installed additional communication modules on two small vehicles that will be deployed after landing:

• Micro-Nova Hopper (Grace): Developed by Intuitive Machines to explore permanently shadowed craters and scan for water ice.
• Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover: Built by Lunar Outpost to map the lunar surface and collect environmental data.

Both vehicles are expected to connect immediately to Athena’s 4G network upon deployment. They will use the network to stream video, send telemetry, and relay data back to Earth through Intuitive Machines’ direct-to-Earth transmission service.

Short initial mission lifespan

According to mission planners, the hopper and rover may operate for only a few days before lunar nightfall, which can expose electronics to extreme cold. Despite this limited initial lifespan, Nokia and Intuitive Machines view the test as a significant proof of concept. In the long term, Nokia envisions a more extensive 4G or 5G network for the proposed Artemis base and other lunar infrastructure. The company is also working on integrating cellular communications into future spacesuits developed by Axiom Space.

“Maybe just one network in a box, one tower, would provide the entire coverage, or maybe we would need multiple of these. That’s not going to be different from what you see in terrestrial cell networks,” Klein said.

Radio astronomy concerns and regulatory issues

Not all parties are enthusiastic about placing a 4G network on the lunar surface. Critics have noted that LTE signals typically use frequencies between 700 MHz and 2.6 GHz, which overlap partly with ranges reserved for radio astronomy. Observatories rely on highly sensitive radio receivers aimed at the sky, and any unintended noise from the Moon could affect data collection.

“Telescopes are most sensitive in the direction they are pointing up towards the sky,” noted Chris De Pree, deputy spectrum manager at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). “A full-scale cell network on the moon would add further noise to the night sky.”

There is also a question about operating 4G at frequencies not internationally allocated for lunar missions. Harvey Liszt, spectrum manager at NRAO, stated that using Earth-based 4G frequency bands on or near the Moon contravenes existing International Telecommunication Union – Radiocommunication (ITU-R) regulations. Nokia received a temporary waiver for the IM-2 mission but would need a different frequency band for any permanent setup.

“For permanent deployment, we’ll have to pick a different frequency band,” Klein said. “We already have a list of candidate frequencies to consider.”

Looking ahead

The IM-2 mission aims to gather data on water ice within the Moon’s permanently shadowed craters, transmit imagery from surface explorations, and test hardware for more extensive operations planned under NASA’s Artemis program. If the technology works as intended, future astronauts could use upgraded cellular networks for communication. Klein adds that if a standard smartphone somehow withstood space travel and harsh lunar conditions, it could operate on a lunar cell tower — provided it was added to the network’s approved devices list and equipped with a “lunar SIM card.”

Intuitive Machines and Nokia view the IM-2 mission as a step toward broader commercial activity on the Moon. They point out that the success of such technologies could encourage a sustained human presence and pave the way for an expanded lunar economy.