NASA Contracts Nokia to Establish 4G Network on the Moon
In October 2020, it was announced that NASA intends to establish a 4G network on the Moon. If astronauts ever return, this would let them spend their downtime transferring money online, checking stocks, or even playing on mobile casino sites. Of course, there are more serious intentions in mind and this advancement is intended for scientific purposes.
This would represent a step forward in NASA’s plan to establish a lunar base on the Moon by 2028. Thus far, NASA has awarded $370 million worth of funding for contractors to develop technology for the base, including robotics, cryogenic freezing, remote power generation, and various other innovations, including the 4G mobile network.
Nokia’s Bell Labs has received a $14.1 million contract that will see the subsidiary company partner with Intuitive Machines, which is a specialist in autonomous systems. The current target for Nokia and Bell Labs is to launch the 4G network late in 2022. This would then enable NASA to proceed with its Artemis program and send astronauts back to the Moon by 2024. The final target would be to have a sustainable presence by 2028.
Could Astronauts Play Mobile Casino Games on the Moon?
Smartphones are so common now that people use them to track their health, monitor their finances, and even for playing games. One example would be to play at a mobile no deposit casino that has been set up especially for mobiles. Perhaps, this could theoretically lead to astronauts playing mobile casino games on the Moon, if they so desired.
Considering that NASA plans to build a lunar base, this would provide the ideal environment for the astronauts to relax. After all, they would need to be out of their suits if they wanted to use the touchscreen surface of their smartphone or tablet. Only then could they use the device effectively to control whichever app they intended to use.
Water Found on Sunlit Areas of the Moon
For astronomers, it’s an exciting time to study the Moon. Along with the progress of the Artemis program, there was the November 2020 discovery of water on sunlit areas of the moon. Previously, NASA has assumed that lunar water could only be found in shaded craters, though this has now been disproven by NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
For the moment, NASA is unclear if the water in the sunlit portions of the Moon can be accessed, and also concerning how the water is capable of remaining there. In the future, NASA and SOFIA intend to conduct further research to answer an array of questions. Perhaps, the lunar base can eventually play a role when operation and inhabited.
New Technology a Priority for NASA
The rationale behind Project Artemis is that NASA wants to “better understand the universe and our home planet”, as explained on the project page. As part of the project, NASA intends to construct sustainable technology on and around the Moon. Included among the requirements are will be innovative new spacecraft, gear, and equipment.
A key creation will be the space launch system, which is described as the world’s most powerful rocket. Additionally, NASA requires the Orion spacecraft for conducting lunar missions, as well as lunar landers and exploration ground systems to support research efforts on the Moon’s surface. The astronauts will receive Artemis generation spacesuits that are specifically designed for deep space.
Another major development shall be the construction of a lunar outpost to serve as a gateway to the Moon. Three elements are being built for the gateway, including Power and Propulsion, Habitation and Logistics, and Logistics Capabilities. Alongside NASA, the gateway shall also be developed by International Space Station partners, including Canada and Europe.
NASA Working with Famous Faces
NASA shall require support from various commercial partners to make Artemis a success. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that a project of this scale would attract famous innovators. In June 2020, NASA revealed that Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX had been selected among the three moon lander designs chosen for the project.
The world-famous billionaires will be joined by Dynetics, which is an American technology company headquartered in Huntsville, AL. For the initial 10 months of design development, NASA expects to pay the trio approximately $967 million. However, the development time could be slowed down by the continued impact of the global pandemic.
In the months ahead, NASA engineers shall collaborate with the trio to evaluate the competing designs. If all goes to schedule, then NASA can select which of the three to use in February 2021. With 2024 the target year of returning to the Moon, it would mark a 52-year absence since Apollo 17 conducted the last lunar landing by astronauts in 1972.
