Axiom Space and Nokia Join Forces to Integrate 4G/LTE into Artemis III Spacesuits

Insider Brief

• Axiom Space and Nokia have partnered to enhance the communication capabilities of spacesuits for the upcoming Artemis III lunar mission.
• This partnership will integrate Nokia’s advanced 4G/LTE technology into Axiom Space’s Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), allowing the next-generation spacesuits to support high-definition video, telemetry data, and voice transmission over long distances on the Moon.
• Nokia also  plans to deploy the first cellular network on the Moon as part of Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission, scheduled for launch in 2024.
• Axiom Space recently secured $57.5 million from NASA to incorporate this 4G/LTE network into the lunar spacesuit for Artemis III. This funding builds upon a $228 million task order awarded to Axiom in 2022.

Axiom Space and Nokia announced the companies have joined forces to enhance the communication capabilities of spacesuits for the upcoming Artemis III lunar mission. This partnership will integrate Nokia’s advanced 4G/LTE technology into Axiom Space’s Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU). These next-generation spacesuits will support high-definition video, telemetry data, and voice transmission over long distances on the Moon.

This integration enables Artemis III crewmembers to capture real-time video and maintain continuous communication with mission controllers on Earth while exploring the lunar surface. The partnership aims to create a reliable communication network on the Moon, critical for current and future missions.

Russell Ralston, Axiom Space’s executive vice president of extravehicular activity, emphasized the significance of this development, stating that the high-speed 4G/LTE network will act as a vital link between astronauts and Earth. This capability will facilitate crucial data exchange and enable long-distance high-definition video communication, enhancing the astronauts’ ability to perform their tasks on the Moon.

Nokia’s involvement in lunar exploration extends beyond the Artemis III mission. The company plans to deploy the first cellular network on the Moon as part of Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission, scheduled to reach the launch site in 2024. Nokia’s Lunar Surface Communications System (LSCS), developed by Nokia Bell Labs, will be deployed during the IM-2 mission and later adapted for use in the AxEMU spacesuits.

Thierry E. Klein, President of Bell Labs Solutions Research at Nokia, underscored the importance of advanced networks in space exploration. He highlighted Nokia’s history of space project involvement and the company’s role in designing and building networks that connect the world. The LSCS, comprising a network-in-a-box and device modules, will withstand the harsh lunar environment and dynamic stresses of spaceflight while being optimized for size, weight, and power consumption.

Axiom Space recently secured $57.5 million from NASA to incorporate this 4G/LTE network into the lunar spacesuit for Artemis III. This funding builds upon a $228 million task order awarded to Axiom in 2022.

Axiom Space’s next-generation spacesuits and Nokia’s lunar surface communications innovations represent significant advancements in American space exploration. These developments support NASA’s Artemis III mission and pave the way for deeper exploration of the Moon, the solar system, and beyond.

Image credit: Axiom Space