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Nokia selected by NASA to build cellular network on the moon

reuters.com

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Re: Nokia selected by NASA to build cellular network on the moon

#71

Post by dr_orpheus »

Nokinside wrote: post #39

Radiation environment on the moon is worse than in the LEO. Earth's magnetic field is not protecting in the Moon. It's unclear how much rad-hard they need if they don't use it for anything safety critical. Rad-hard 90nm SoC for 4G/LTE should be relatively straightforward. Or maybe they use redundancy and use already available few generation old chipsets. Changes for thermal management and testing eats most of the bud…

I'm sure they would need something rad-hard for the system to last any practical amount of time. My guess is that Nokia would likely subcontract some of the electronics to companies that have experience in making rad-hard versions of existing technologies like BAE Systems or 3d Plus.

Thermal management is definitely hard, but this would be pretty run-of-the-mill thermal management for most space companies. I know this still means expensive but it's not an extreme thermal challenge like the Parker Solar Probe (keep things normal temps in a REALLY hot environment) or JWST (keep a very large structure at a VERY cold temperature)

Re: Nokia selected by NASA to build cellular network on the moon

#73

Post by karteum »

timdux wrote: post #43

All terrestrial base stations (1) require GPS signal for time synchronization. Most of them can run for 4 hours - 24 hours without GPS, but that's it, after that holdover period it's dead. There is no GPS signal on the moon. That's a problem. (1) except micro base stations

TDD base stations require synchronization (around 3µs) to avoid interfering with each others, but this does of course not apply if there is only one BS or if there is any other way to sync them (e.g. SyncE + IEEE-1588v2, G.8275...). See https://docdb.cept.org/download/220ac21f-b44b/ECCREP216.PDF

As far as I know 3GPP2 cdma2000/EV-DO also need GPS because the codes are synchronous (although I am not familiar with those technologies).

Apart from that, 3GPP FDD base stations only require a stable frequency reference, not a time reference (LTE/WCDMA base stations are not connected to GPS !)

Re: Nokia selected by NASA to build cellular network on the moon

#74

Post by Nokinside »

timdux wrote: post #43

All terrestrial base stations (1) require GPS signal for time synchronization. Most of them can run for 4 hours - 24 hours without GPS, but that's it, after that holdover period it's dead. There is no GPS signal on the moon. That's a problem. (1) except micro base stations

As there will be only one cellular network, inference coordination and timing is relatively easy to solve. You just use PTP. No need to GPSS Everywhere.

Re: Nokia selected by NASA to build cellular network on the moon

#76

Post by sobellian »

ampdepolymerase wrote: post #70
Bhilai wrote: post #67

Dumb question: What gives NASA the authority to build anything on the moon?

By being in a country that is a nuclear armed superpower with veto rights on the UN Security Council. Stuff like outer space treaty only matters when the bigger players are willing enforce it.

As far as I know the outer space treaty only prevents the construction of military installations, but civilian construction would be perfectly lawful under the treaty.

Re: Nokia selected by NASA to build cellular network on the moon

#78

Post by ehnto »

Bhilai wrote: post #67

Dumb question: What gives NASA the authority to build anything on the moon?

My Google Fu only turned up the Outer Space Treaty https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Space_Treaty

But I wouldn't be surprised if this is new territory for law and sovereignty on the moon, and will be a bit controversial.

Re: Nokia selected by NASA to build cellular network on the moon

#80

Post by vorpalhex »

ampdepolymerase wrote: post #70
Bhilai wrote: post #67

Dumb question: What gives NASA the authority to build anything on the moon?

By being in a country that is a nuclear armed superpower with veto rights on the UN Security Council. Stuff like outer space treaty only matters when the bigger players are willing enforce it.

Or just being on the moon and building civilian infrastructure and not military infrastructure... other countries are entirely free to do the same...
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