Vodafone and Nokia to build 4G network on the MOON next year
Data network aims to be able to send live HD video back to the earth... but could lay the groundwork for commercial travel to the moon.
SOME areas of the UK might still struggle to get 4G in their homes, but plans are being put in place to install the first 4G network on the MOON as early as next year.
Vodafone Germany is teaming up with the networking arm of Nokia to set up the space-based data network that will enable lunar rovers made by Audi to communicate with one another.
Such a high-speed link will also be capable of sending full HD video of the lunar landscape back to earth.
The tech duo are working with German company PTScientists, who will develop the hardware required for the network to function.
The plan is for it to hitch a ride on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, set to launch in 2019 from Cape Canaveral.
As part of the mission, Audi’s rovers will visit the Apollo 17 roving vehicle, which was used the last time humans walked on the moon.
It will be scanned to assess its condition, looking out for damage caused by radiation, extreme temperatures or micro meteorites.
However, Robert Böhme, chief exec of PTScientists, hinted this mission could be the start of something more
"In order for humanity to leave the cradle of Earth, we need to develop infrastructures beyond our home planet,” he said.
“With Mission to the Moon we will establish and test the first elements of a dedicated communications network on the Moon.
"The great thing about this LTE solution is that it saves so much power, and the less energy we use sending data, the more we have to do science!"