Nokia and Vodafone team up to provide 4G services on the moon

Vodafone and Nokia have teamed up to install 4G network on the moon. The network, which would be the first on the moon, is meant to support a mission by Berlin-based company PTScientists in 2019. PTScientists is working with Vodafone Germany and Audi on a privately funded moon landing, due to launch in 2019 from Cape Canaveral on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The 4G network will enable the Audi lunar Quattro rovers to communicate and transfer scientific data and HD video while they carefully approach and study NASA's Apollo 17 lunar roving vehicle that was used by the last astronauts to walk on the Moon (Commander Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt) to explore the Taurus-Littrow valley in December 1972.

Robert Böhme, chief executive of PTScientists, said the moon mission could lay the groundwork for missions into the solar system and deep space.  He added, "In order for humanity to leave the cradle of Earth, we need to develop infrastructures beyond our home planet. With Mission to the Moon we will establish and test the first elements of a dedicated communications network on the Moon," he said.

Nokia's Marcus Weldon said, "We are very pleased to have been selected by Vodafone to be their technology partner. This important mission is supporting, among other things, the development of new space-grade technologies for future data networking, processing, and storage, and will help advance the communications infrastructure required for academics, industry and educational institutions in conducting lunar research."