Lunar 3GPP
NASA is bringing 5G cellular networks to the Moon, ensuring astronauts can reliably communicate with each other, their vehicles, and their instruments while exploring the lunar South Pole. By building on proven terrestrial standards instead of starting from scratch, NASA is enabling faster deployment, greater interoperability, and more ambitious exploration than ever before.
A cell network on the Moon.
With Artemis, NASA will establish a long-term presence at the Moon, opening more of the lunar surface to exploration than ever before. This growth of lunar activity will require astronauts to communicate seamlessly with each other and with science teams back on Earth. NASA’s Lunar 3rd Generation Partnership Project (Lunar 3GPP) is researching how to deploy the same wireless technologies used every day on Earth on the Moon, enabling Wi-Fi like capabilities for Artemis explorers.
Supporting humanity’s return to the Moon.
When humanity returns to the Moon on Artemis III, the crew will demonstrate 4G LTE communications links by streaming real-time high-definition video across the lunar surface. During the demo, the crew will turn on the 4G systems in their spacesuits to stream high-definition footage back to Earth. The initial Artemis III demonstration paves the way for a lunar surface network infrastructure that is robust and scalable. By Artemis V, NASA has committed to deploying a 5G network on the Moon for operations.
Exploring unknown regions of the Moon.
Unlike the Apollo missions, Artemis explorers will journey to the Moon’s South Pole. Much like Earth’s South Pole, this area is a region of extreme conditions, with deep craters and mountainous terrain. Some of these deep craters have shadowed areas that have not seen the Sun in billions of years. Scientists believe these areas might hold water ice —the key to unlocking a sustainable human presence on and around the Moon.
3GPP deployment on the Moon is fueled by commercial collaboration.
Through strategic public-private partnerships, NASA is opening space to more people, science, and commercial opportunities. The Artemis III demonstration is enabled through partnerships with Nokia Bell Labs, which is developing the 4G cellular hardware, and Axiom Space, which will integrate the hardware into their AxEMU spacesuits. The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory is supporting the Lunar 3GPP team by providing critical subject matter expertise in 4G/5G cellular technology.
Building a Lunar Network: Johnson Tests Wireless Technologies for the Moon
NASA engineers are strapping on backpacks loaded with radios, cameras, and antennas to test technology that might someday keep explorers…
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