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Cellular service could soon be out of this world.
NASA awarded Nokia a $ 14.1 million contract to bring astronauts the first cellular network on the moon, the space agency announced.
The mobile phone company will launch a 4G / LTE network before updating the system to the latest 5G technology. according to its innovation arm Bell Labs.
Cellular data capabilities on the moon will help better control lunar rovers, real-time navigation over the lunar geography and high-definition video streaming, the company said.
“This mission will validate the future of other operational deployments and the potential for human habitation on the moon,” said Bell Labs.
But taking cellular service to new heights has not been a small undertaking.
“The mission-critical LTE network that we have developed has been specially designed to withstand the extreme temperature, radiation and vacuum conditions of space, as well as the considerable vibratory impact during launch and landing on the lunar surface,” the company said.
NASA’s grant was part of contracts worth $ 370 million signed under the agency’s “Tipping Point” program, which aims to support research on a variety of technologies to enhance space exploration.
“We are excited to see that our investments and collaborative partnerships generate new technologies for the Moon and beyond, while benefiting the commercial sector,” said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for space technology at NASA.
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