This partnership will see the integration of high-speed cellular network technology into Axiom Space's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), enabling HD video, telemetry data, and voice communication over long distances on the lunar surface. With this innovation, Artemis III astronauts will be able to transmit real-time video and communicate with mission control on Earth as they explore the Moon.
"Axiom Space is excited to work with Nokia to build on the advanced capabilities of our next-generation spacesuit," said Russell Ralston, Axiom Space executive vice president of extravehicular activity. "Adding high-speed 4G/LTE network capability on the Moon will serve as a vital bridge linking astronauts to Earth, facilitating crucial data exchange, and enabling high-definition video communication over long distances."
Nokia is set to deploy the first cellular network on the Moon as part of Intuitive Machines' IM-2 mission, scheduled for launch in 2024. This mission will demonstrate the role of cellular connectivity in supporting future lunar and Mars expeditions. Nokia's Lunar Surface Communications System (LSCS), developed by Nokia Bell Labs, will be used during IM-2 and adapted for the AxEMU spacesuits.
"Just as astronauts will need life support, shelter and food, they will need advanced networks to communicate with each other and go about their crucial work," said Thierry E. Klein, President of Bell Labs Solutions Research at Nokia. "Bell Labs has a long history of working on space projects, and Nokia is a leader in designing and building networks that connect the world. We are taking advantage of the same standards-based technologies that connect billions of devices on Earth every day, while bringing new innovation and technologies to bear on the specific challenges encountered in space."
The LSCS is a fully autonomous system that includes a network-in-a-box, combining the radio, base station, and core network components into a single unit, and device modules designed for integration into the AxEMU spacesuits. Both components are engineered to endure the harsh conditions of the lunar surface and the rigors of spaceflight, while being optimized for size, weight, and power efficiency.
Axiom Space has secured $57.5 million from NASA to incorporate the 4G/LTE network into the lunar spacesuit for the Artemis III mission, expanding on its previous Artemis contract in 2022 valued at $228 million.
These advanced spacesuits, developed by Axiom Space, will empower astronauts with new capabilities for lunar exploration and provide NASA with commercially developed human systems essential for living and working on and around the Moon.
Axiom Space's next-generation spacesuits, combined with Nokia's lunar communications innovations, represent major strides in maintaining American leadership in space exploration, paving the way for a deeper understanding of the Moon, the solar system, and beyond.
Related Links
Axiom Space
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
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