… NASA Launches Athena Lander to Establish First Mobile Network on the Moon
RNS: NASA successfully launched the Athena lander, introducing mobile connectivity to the lunar surface as part of Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission. The mission deploys the Lunar Surface Communication System (LSCS), developed by Nokia, which utilizes cellular technology similar to that used on Earth to establish connectivity on the Moon.
The Athena lander, perched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 26 February.
The mission paves the way for two U.S. lunar landings within a week. On Sunday, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander is scheduled to land on the near-side of the Moon, followed by Athena’s landing on the lunar South Pole just four days later.
The mobile network deployed by the mission will enable seamless communication between the lander and vehicles, providing critical support for high-definition video streaming, command-and-control, and telemetry data. Nokia Bell Labs President Thierry Klein emphasized the resilience of the network, designed to withstand the Moon’s harsh environment, including radiation, extreme temperatures, and vibrations. The system operates in a compact “network in a box,” which contains all components required for functionality except for the antenna and power source.
The IM-2 mission also features two lunar mobility vehicles: Intuitive Machines’ Micro-Nova Hopper and Lunar Outpost’s Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover. These vehicles will connect to the network on the Moon’s surface, although the network’s operation will be limited to just a few days due to the challenges posed by lunar nights.
This achievement is a critical step toward future lunar missions, including NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon by 2028. Nokia is also working on integrating cellular communication technology into astronauts’ spacesuits to facilitate communication during future lunar exploration. Klein pointed out that a single network tower could provide full coverage, similar to terrestrial cell networks on Earth.
Meanwhile, NASA’s Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment 1 (PRIME-1) is underway, studying lunar regolith and resources to support future missions. While the launch of the mobile network has been met with enthusiasm, it has also sparked some concerns. Critics, such as Chris De Pree from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, have raised alarms about potential interference with radio astronomy due to overlapping frequencies. Nokia received a special waiver for the IM-2 mission and is exploring alternative frequency bands for future deployments.
As lunar exploration intensifies, the success of the LSCS network underscores the growing importance of mobile connectivity for future missions. The development of such technology is pivotal for the goal of establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon by the 2030s, and it will also lay the groundwork for future missions to Mars and beyond.