from the so-Andy-did-you-hear-about-this-one? dept.
If you believe, they'll put 4G internet on the moon:
A Nokia executive recently confirmed the company is preparing to launch 4G internet on the moon, hopefully before the end of 2023. We put a man on the moon in 1969, and now the Finnish Telecom company wants to give the rock an internet connection.
For those unaware, Nokia announced these bold ambitions back in 2020 when NASA selected it for the project, and now it sounds like things are moving in the right direction.
According to CNBC, this is a big undertaking and will be a joint mission by Nokia, NASA, SpaceX, and others. The company Intuitive Machines’s upcoming IM-2 mission, currently scheduled to launch in November aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, will carry the 4G payload.
Once delivered, Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lunar lander will be able to have an active connection with its Rovers, helping aid in lunar discoveries, not to mention developing a human presence on the surface of the moon.
The hope is that this system can meet the needs of future space missions, including NASA's Artemis mission. If everything goes according to plan, Nokia's moon 4G signal will improve critical command and control functions, give teams remote control of rovers, and offer real-time navigation, not to mention stream back HD video of the moon's surface (and more) to Earth.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by TheReaperD on Thursday March 30, @07:50AM (2 children)
So, we'll be able to get 4G wireless on the moon, but not in all areas of the rural US or poorer neighborhoods in big cities? Really shows what our priorities in this country are.
Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit
(Score: 4, Funny) by takyon on Thursday March 30, @08:02AM
It sounds like any other satellite around the Moon or Mars that is used to communicate with rovers. Just with a Nokia marketing opportunity added.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 5, Funny) by driverless on Thursday March 30, @09:51AM
It's for the Australian backpackers. Build a hostel on the moon and it'll fill itself with Australian backpackers within a couple of days through no known process.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Opportunist on Thursday March 30, @08:36AM (1 child)
Now, how do we get the rest of the company there?
(Score: 4, Funny) by Thexalon on Thursday March 30, @10:29AM
It will take a while: Sending Congress there is a higher priority.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 30, @09:10AM (8 children)
(Score: 5, Funny) by Thexalon on Thursday March 30, @10:30AM (4 children)
It's actually 24G, but you have to remember the Moon is less massive so you have to divide the G's by 6.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 30, @12:36PM (3 children)
6G is coming. If we wait long enough we'll have 24G. Maybe the range on that will be solar system wide.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 30, @03:02PM (2 children)
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Mojibake Tengu on Thursday March 30, @04:36PM (1 child)
5G/6G has lower range only because of atmospheric oxygen absorption at selected bandwidth. Though there is no atmosphere on the Moon...
The edge of 太玄 cannot be defined, for it is beyond every aspect of design
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 31, @03:19AM
Everyone shares the same bandwidth in a cell. Smaller cell = fewer clients and smaller range.
That said there probably wouldn't be that many clients in the Moon.
(Score: 1) by mydn on Thursday March 30, @04:32PM
I think there's a prohibition on weapons on the Moon.
/s
(Score: 3, Touché) by turgid on Thursday March 30, @08:08PM
Bill Gates, George Soros and the Undemocratic Marxist Globalist Elite don't want to give the Moon Men COVID.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 2) by pvanhoof on Friday March 31, @02:48PM
Maybe because there are not yet enough people (or systems) on the moon for a phased array antenna to make much sense. A few normal directional antennae are just as good if there are just a handful of systems.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 30, @02:28PM
If you wanted to connect from orbit, wouldn't you want Zero-G internet?