NASA intends to return to the Moon in 2024, and when it does, it wants reliable cellular coverage. To make this a reality, the space agency has provided Nokia with $14.1 million in funding to build out a 4G LTE cellular network on the moon’s surface.
While putting LTE service on the moon might be worth it simply for that bragging rights, NASA has practical reasons for the deployment.
NASA Associate Administrator James Reuter told United Press International that equipping the Moon with cellular service could enable communication between lunar habitats and the astronauts out exploring its surface, as well as allow the agency to communicate with spacecrafts.
