INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Mobile Technology

Nokia will equip Axiom Space nextgeneration spacesuits for Artemis III lunar mission with 4G / LTE connectivity .

Together , Nokia and Axiom Space will incorporate high-speed cellular-network capabilities in the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit ( AxEMU ), supporting HD video , telemetry data and voice transmission over multiple kilometers on the Moon .

This advancement will enable Artemis III crewmembers to capture real-time video and communicate with mission controllers on Earth while they explore the lunar surface .

Russell Ralston , Axiom Space Executive Vice President of Extravehicular Activity , said : “ Axiom Space is excited to work with Nokia to build on the advanced capabilities of our next-generation spacesuit . 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 plans to deploy the first cellular network on the Moon as part of Intuitive Machines ’ IM-2 mission , which is scheduled to be delivered to the launch site in 2024 .

During that mission , Nokia aims to demonstrate that cellular connectivity can facilitate crucial communications during future lunar or Mars missions .

Nokia ’ s Lunar Surface Communications System ( LSCS ), pioneered by Nokia Bell Labs ’ research and innovation , will be deployed during IM-2 and will be further adapted for use in the AxEMU spacesuit .

Thierry E . Klein , President of Bell Labs Solutions Research at Nokia , said : “ 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 . 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 fully autonomous LSCS has two components : a network-in-abox combines the radio , base station and core network elements of a terrestrial cellular network into a single unit and device modules that will be integrated into the AxEMU spacesuits .

Both the network and device modules have been carefully engineered to withstand the extreme environmental conditions on the lunar surface and the dynamic stress of spaceflight , and have been optimized for size , weight and power consumption .

Axiom Space ’ s spacesuits will provide astronauts with advanced capabilities for space exploration while providing NASA with commercially developed human systems needed to access , live and work on and around the Moon . p

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