NASA's IM-2 mission, launched February 26, 2025, is a 10-day lunar expedition targeting the south pole’s Mons Mouton to mine water ice and rare minerals. It will deploy Nokia’s 4G/LTE network for real-time communication, paving the way for sustainable lunar bases and future Martian missions.
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The NASA IM-2 mission aims to deploy the first lunar cellular network while exploring the moon’s south pole for resources.
The Intuitive Machines (IM-2) mission is a 10-day lunar exploration effort launched on February 26, 2025, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, targets the lunar south pole’s Mons Mouton mountain.
Its primary goal is to mine for water ice and rare minerals critical for future lunar bases. The mission also aims to deploy Nokia’s 4G/LTE cellular network, a partnership with NASA to boost high-speed, real-time communication for future lunar operations.
The IM-2 mission uses Intuitive Machines’ Athena lander, which detached from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and is set to land near the lunar south pole on March 6, 2025. Athena carries two NASA instruments designed to drill 3 feet into the lunar surface to search for water and carbon dioxide.
A secondary objective of the IM-2 mission is to deploy the first lunar cellular network, developed by Nokia in partnership with NASA and Intuitive Machines.
The Lunar Surface Communication System (LSCS) uses 4G/LTE, the same cellular technology used on Earth, but adapted for lunar conditions. Nokia redesigned the system to withstand radiation, and extreme temperatures (−200°C to 130°C).
The 4G network is expected to function for only a few days due to lunar night temperatures (−200°C), which will deactivate the system.
The LTE band (700 MHz–2.6 GHz) overlaps with frequencies used by radio astronomy, potentially interfering with observations. Nokia received a waiver for the IM-2 mission but must use different frequencies for permanent deployment.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has not allocated LTE bands for lunar use, requiring Nokia to seek exemptions.
Nokia expects a network that grows with lunar colonization, supporting habitats, rovers, and scientific instruments. If successful, the technology could be adapted for Martian missions, where communication is even more complex.
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