NASA and Nokia building 4G Network on Moon

Nokia a Finland's telecommunication company has been selected by NASA to build the first cellular network on the moon.

The Finnish telecommunications equipment maker said its Nokia Bell Labs division would build a 4G communications system to be deployed on a lunar lander to the Moon's surface in late 2022.

NASA is awarding $US370 million ($523 million) to 14 companies to provide technology for the Artemis moon-landing program.

The program's aim is to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon as a warm-up for missions to Mars.

Nokia released more details of its involvement after an announcement last week by NASA, which said it was giving the company's US unit $US14.1 million for the network.

The US space agency is also funding other innovations in cryogenic fluid management, lunar surface innovation, and descent and landing capability.