Rendering of Nokia Lunar Surface Communication System on Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 lunar lander. Photo: Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines has integrated hardware for Nokia’s Lunar cellular network onto the IM-2 spacecraft set to launch to the Moon next month. Nokia and Intuitive Machines intend to deploy the first cellular network on the Moon, with the Lunar Surface Communication System (LSCS). 

This project is part of NASA’s Tipping Point program, and Nokia received a contract from NASA in 2021. To do this, Nokia Bell Labs reconceptualized its 4G/LTE cellular technology for a resilient and compact system that can operate in the harsh environmental conditions of the Moon. 

According to Nokia, the network is engineered to handle surface connectivity between the lander and vehicles, carrying high-definition video streaming, command-and-control communications and telemetry data. Intuitive Machines expects to relay data from the LSCS back to Earth using its direct-to-Earth data transmission service.

Intuitive Machines Athena lander for the IM-2 mission is set to launch no earlier than late February from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Intuitive Machines is also working to deploy a lunar satellite constellation to provide communication and navigation services for NASA’s Artemis activities on the Moon, under a NASA contract awarded last year worth up to $4.82 billion.  

“We believe delivering Nokia’s 4G/LTE system to the lunar surface is a transformative moment in the commercialization of space and the maturity of the lunar economy,” Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus commented. “Whether it’s Nokia connecting surface assets, or Intuitive Machines’ ability to transmit that data back to Earth and establish lunar data relay satellites, these innovations are mainstay capabilities we believe will define the Artemis generation.”