The 4G/LTE technology will provide reliable, high-speed wireless communication for critical operations.

In a landmark achievement for space exploration, Nokia has successfully deployed the first-ever cellular network on the Moon, marking a critical step toward establishing a long-term human presence on the lunar surface.

The deployment was carried out as part of the Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission, with the Nokia-built Lunar Surface Communication System (LSCS) aboard the Athena lander, which launched from Earth aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

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The mission, funded in part by NASA, represents a major milestone in the agency’s ongoing Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon and support sustained operations by the end of the decade.

In 2020, NASA awarded Nokia Bell Labs $14.1 million under its “Tipping Point” initiative — designed to accelerate the development of breakthrough technologies critical for lunar exploration.

Nokia’s LSCS system, based on 4G/LTE technology, is engineered to operate in the Moon’s extreme environment, ensuring robust, high-speed, and reliable wireless communication.

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Its core mission is to support data transmission for vital lunar applications including remote rover operations, navigation, telemetry, and high-definition video streaming — key components of future crewed missions.

NASA’s broader investment in LSCS forms part of a $370 million package awarded to 14 companies developing next-generation space technologies, including cryogenic fluid management, fuel cells, landing systems, and oxygen extraction from lunar soil.

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These advancements are key to creating a self-sustaining infrastructure on the Moon in preparation for future human exploration.

More details about the LSCS’s performance on the lunar surface, its integration process, and future upgrades — including a potential shift to 5G — are expected to emerge in the coming weeks.

Hopefully, in live streaming transmissions straight from the Moon.