Nokia and Axiom Space are integrating high-speed 4G/LTE cellular capabilities into a new lunar spacesuit, or as the manufacturer calls it, the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU). Support for broadcasting HD video, telemetry data and voice calls over a distance of several kilometers is announced. This will allow participants on the Artemis III lunar mission to broadcast video and communicate with controllers on Earth directly from the Moon.
Image source: Axiom Space
«“Axiom Space is pleased to collaborate with Nokia to develop the advanced capabilities of our next-generation spacesuit,” said Axiom Space Executive Vice President for Extravehicular Activities Russell Ralston. “The addition of a high-speed 4G/LTE network on the Moon will provide an important bridge connecting astronauts to Earth, facilitating the exchange of critical data and enabling high-definition video communications 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 launch in 2024. During this mission, Nokia plans to demonstrate the performance, reliability and convenience of cellular communications for future expeditions to the Moon or Mars. Nokia’s Lunar Surface Communications System (LSCS), first developed through Nokia Bell Labs research and innovation, will be further adapted for use in AxEMU.
«Just as astronauts need life support systems, shelter and food, they will need advanced networks to communicate with each other and do their important 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 the design and creation of networks that connect the world. We use the same standard technologies that connect billions of devices on Earth every day, while driving innovation and technology to solve specific problems in space.”
The fully autonomous LSCS system consists of two components: a network module that integrates the radio, base station and core network elements of the terrestrial cellular network into a single unit, and modules that will be integrated into the AxEMU. The devices are designed to withstand extreme conditions on the lunar surface and dynamic overloads during space flight and are optimized for size, weight and power consumption.
Previously, Axiom Space spoke about its collaboration with the Italian fashion house Prada in the development of spacesuits for the Artemis III mission. The mission, planned for 2025, will mark the first landing of humans, including the first woman, on the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972. So everything has to be beautiful, including the astronauts’ costumes.
Axiom Space received $57.5 million from NASA to create AxEMU. This spacesuit is a modification of the previous version, which cost NASA $228 million in 2022. Axiom Space’s development of next-generation spacesuits and Nokia’s innovations in communications on the lunar surface should be significant advances towards further exploration of the solar system, near and then far. space.