Nokia is making history. When Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission voyages to the lunar south pole, Nokia will deploy a cellular network that will connect two mission vehicles. Nokia intends to prove that the same technology that connects billions of smartphones on Earth can meet critical communications needs on the Moon and Mars. As the mission unfolds, we will update this page with the latest details.
Mission videos
Watch the latest developments in Nokia’s voyage to the Moon.
Luis Maestro on how Nokia Bell Labs re-conceptualized the cellular network for the Moon
John Dow explains the importance of connectivity in the future space economy
IM-2 mission checklist
Our detailed guide to every aspect of the IM-2 mission, from the launch and voyage to landing and lunar surface operations
Mission tracker
20 February
Intuitive Machines announced that its IM-2 mission Nova-C class lunar lander, Athena, completed all integration milestones and is safely encapsulated within SpaceX’s payload fairing in preparation for launch. In coordination with SpaceX, launch of Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission is targeted for a multi-day launch window that opens no earlier than February 26.
Athena, of course, carries Nokia’s Lunar Surface Communications System (LSCS), which will make the roughly one-week voyage to the Moon’s south pole. There, Nokia will deploy the first cellular network on the Moon.
(Image credit: SpaceX)
28 January
Intuitive Machines delivered the IM-2 lunar lander, named Athena, to Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Athena is an Intuitive Machines Nova-C class lander, and she will carry Nokia’s cellular network, along with IM-2’s mission vehicles, instruments and equipment, to the Moon’s south pole.
In coordination with SpaceX, the liftoff of the IM-2 lunar mission is targeted for a four-day launch window that opens no earlier than February 26. In case of unfavorable launch conditions, such as inclement weather, backup opportunities will be determined based on the lunar blackout window and other factors.
(Image credit: Intuitive Machines)
7 January
Nokia and Intuitive Machines announced the final integration of the Lunar Surface Communications System (LSCS) into Athena, the Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C class lander for IM-2 . Athena will carry the LSCS to the Moon’s south pole, where Nokia intends to establish the first cellular network on the Moon.
After months of testing and validation with Nokia Bell Labs, Intuitive Machines engineers installed the LSCS “network in a box” into one of Athena’s upper carbon-composite panels, taking multiple precautions to ensure that the network will safely survive the launch, voyage and landing, as well as operate optimally on the lunar surface.
(Image credit: Intuitive Machines)
Networking the Moon and beyond
Learn more about the mission, Nokia Bell Labs’ technology and the people behind it
