{"id":97683,"date":"2020-10-26T13:24:47","date_gmt":"2020-10-26T10:24:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/nokia-and-nasas-4g-lunar-network-will-mess-up-radio-astronomy\/"},"modified":"2020-10-26T13:24:47","modified_gmt":"2020-10-26T10:24:47","slug":"nokia-and-nasas-4g-lunar-network-will-mess-up-radio-astronomy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/nokia-and-nasas-4g-lunar-network-will-mess-up-radio-astronomy\/","title":{"rendered":"#Nokia and NASA\u2019s 4G lunar network will mess up radio astronomy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3bf204c111c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3bf204c111c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/nokia-and-nasas-4g-lunar-network-will-mess-up-radio-astronomy\/#Network_interference\" >Network interference<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/nokia-and-nasas-4g-lunar-network-will-mess-up-radio-astronomy\/#Its_not_just_4G\" >It\u2019s not just 4G<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Nokia and NASA\u2019s 4G lunar network will mess up radio astronomy<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n                            As you drive down the road leading to Jodrell Bank Observatory, a sign asks visitors to turn off their mobile phones, stating that the Lovell telescope is so powerful it could detect a phone signal on Mars.<\/p>\n<p>Radio telescopes are designed to be incredibly sensitive. To quote the legendary astronomer <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bzS39oghcnY\">Carl Sagan<\/a>, \u201cThe total amount of energy from outside the solar system ever received by all the radio telescopes on the planet Earth is less than the energy of a single snowflake striking the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The total energy now is probably a few snowflakes\u2019 worth, but nevertheless it is still true that astronomical radio signals are typically magnitudes smaller than artificial ones. If Jodrell Bank could pick up interference from a phone signal on Mars, how would it fare with an entire 4G network on the Moon?<\/p>\n<p>That is the issue that is worrying astronomers like me, now that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-announces-partners-to-advance-tipping-point-technologies-for-the-moon-mars\">Nokia of America<\/a> has been awarded US$14.1m (\u00a310.8m) for the development of the first ever cellular network on the Moon. The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nokia.com\/about-us\/news\/releases\/2020\/10\/19\/nokia-selected-by-nasa-to-build-first-ever-cellular-network-on-the-moon\/\">LTE\/4G network<\/a> will aim to facilitate long term lunar habitability, providing communications for key aspects such as lunar rovers and navigation.<\/p>\n<p><em>[Read: <span class=\"c-message_attachment__title\"><span dir=\"auto\">What audience intelligence data tells us about the 2020 US presidential election<\/span>]<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Network_interference\"><\/span>Network interference<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Radio frequency interference (RFI) is the long-term nemesis of radio astronomers. Jodrell Bank \u2013 the earliest radio astronomy observatory in the world still in existence \u2013 was created <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/astrogeo\/article\/53\/6\/6.34\/216208\">because of RFI<\/a>. Sir Bernard Lovell, one of the pioneers of radio astronomy, found his work at Manchester hampered by RFI from passing trams in the city, and he persuaded the university\u2019s botany department to let him move to their fields in Cheshire for two weeks (he never left).<\/p>\n<p>Since then, radio telescopes have been built more and more remotely in an attempt to avoid RFI, with the upcoming Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope being built across remote areas of South Africa and Australia. This helps to cut out many common sources for RFI, including mobile phones and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-we-found-the-source-of-the-mystery-signals-at-the-dish-41523\">microwave ovens<\/a>. However, ground-based radio telescopes cannot completely avoid space-based sources of RFI such as satellites \u2013 or a future lunar telecommunications network.<\/p>\n<p>RFI can be mitigated at the source with <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ropriate shielding and precision in the emission of signals. Astronomers are constantly developing strategies to cut RFI from their data. But this increasingly relies on the goodwill of private companies to ensure that at least some radio frequencies are protected for astronomy.<\/p>\n<p>A long-term dream of many radio astronomers would be to have a radio telescope on the far side of the Moon. In addition to being shielded from Earth-based signals, it would also be able to observe at the lowest radio frequencies, which on Earth are particularly affected by a part of the atmosphere called <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aanda.org\/articles\/aa\/abs\/2018\/07\/aa33012-18\/aa33012-18.html\">the ionosphere<\/a>. Observing at low radio frequencies can help answer fundamental questions about the universe, such as what it was like in the first few moments after the big bang.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a> case has already been recognized with the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ru.nl\/astrophysics\/radboud-radio-lab\/projects\/netherlands-china-low-frequency-explorer-ncle\/\">Netherlands-China Low Frequency Explorer<\/a>, a telescope <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2019-11-dutch-chinese-radio-telescope-antennas-unfolded.html\">repurposed<\/a> from the Queqiao relay satellite sent to the Moon in the Chang\u2019e 4 mission. Nasa has also funded a project on the feasibility of turning a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/niac\/2020_Phase_I_Phase_II\/lunar_crater_radio_telescope\/\">lunar crater into a radio telescope<\/a> with a lining of wire mesh.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Its_not_just_4G\"><\/span>It\u2019s not just 4G<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Despite its interest in these radio projects, Nasa also has its eye for commercial partnerships. Nokia is just one of 14 American companies Nasa <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-announces-partners-to-advance-tipping-point-technologies-for-the-moon-mars\">is working with<\/a> in a new set of partnerships, worth more than US$370m, for the development of its <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/artemis-accords-why-many-countries-are-refusing-to-sign-moon-exploration-agreement-148134\">Artemis program<\/a>, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon by 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The involvement of private companies in space <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> is not new. And the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/if-space-race-is-to-return-we-must-ensure-conflicts-on-earth-do-not-continue-in-space-31803\">rights and wrongs<\/a> have long been debated. Drawing possibly the most attention has been SpaceX\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/lights-in-the-sky-from-elon-musks-new-satellite-network-have-stargazers-worried-117829\">Starlink satellites<\/a>, which caused a stir among astronomers after their first major launch in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>Images quickly began to emerge with trails of Starlink satellites cutting across them \u2013 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-costly-collateral-damage-from-elon-musks-starlink-satellite-fleet-138553\">often obscuring<\/a> or outshining the original astronomical targets.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"A field of next generation radio telescopes.\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" class=\" lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/364992\/original\/file-20201022-18-8tcy94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" data-lazy=\"true\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/364992\/original\/file-20201022-18-8tcy94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/364992\/original\/file-20201022-18-8tcy94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/364992\/original\/file-20201022-18-8tcy94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/364992\/original\/file-20201022-18-8tcy94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/364992\/original\/file-20201022-18-8tcy94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/364992\/original\/file-20201022-18-8tcy94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/syndication\/2020\/10\/26\/nokia-and-nasas-4g-lunar-network-will-mess-up-radio-astronomy\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenextweb.com%2Fsyndication%2F2020%2F10%2F26%2Fnokia-and-nasas-4g-lunar-network-will-mess-up-radio-astronomy%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: An artist\u2019s impression of the planned SKA-mid dishes in Africa. SKA Organisation, CC BY\" data-title=\"Share An artist\u2019s impression of the planned SKA-mid dishes in Africa. SKA Organisation, CC BY on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share An artist\u2019s impression of the planned SKA-mid dishes in Africa. SKA Organisation, CC BY on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>An artist\u2019s impression of the planned SKA-mid dishes in Africa. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skatelescope.org\/multimedia\/image\/ska-mid-africa-close-up-artists-impression\/\">SKA Organisation<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Astronomers have had to deal with satellites for a long time, but Starlink\u2019s numbers and brightness are unprecedented and their orbits are <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/startswithabang\/2020\/01\/30\/dangers-to-astronomy-intensify-with-spacexs-latest-starlink-launch\/#7974bd886a57\">difficult to predict<\/a>. These concerns apply to anyone doing ground-based astronomy, whether they use an optical or a radio telescope.<\/p>\n<p>A <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skatelescope.org\/news\/skao-satellite-impact-analysis\/\">recent analysis<\/a> of satellite impact on radio astronomy was released by the SKA Organisation, which is developing the next generation of radio telescope technology for the Square Kilometre Array. It calculated that the SKA telescopes would be 70% less sensitive in the radio band that Starlink uses for communications, assuming an eventual number of 6,400 Starlink satellites.<\/p>\n<p>As space becomes more and more commercialized, the sky is filling with an increasing volume of technology. That is why it has never been more important to have regulations protecting astronomy. To help ensure that as we take further steps into space, we\u2019ll still be able to gaze at it from our home on Earth.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\" lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/148652\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><em>This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/emma-alexander-607129\">Emma Alexander<\/a>, PhD Candidate in Astrophysics, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-manchester-1204\">University of Manchester<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/a-4g-network-on-the-moon-is-bad-news-for-radio-astronomy-148652\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/syndication\/2020\/10\/26\/nokia-and-nasas-4g-lunar-network-will-mess-up-radio-astronomy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Nokia and NASA\u2019s 4G lunar network will mess up radio astronomy&#8221; As you drive down the road leading to Jodrell Bank Observatory, a sign asks visitors to turn off their mobile phones, stating that the Lovell telescope is so powerful it could detect a phone signal on Mars. Radio telescopes are designed to be incredibly&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":97684,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2020\/10\/1-17.jpg&signature=2b1e5addb42e9085d86bd99e8b1a9ca8","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[77191,5025,5026,77190,70759,73448],"class_list":["post-97683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-4g","tag-moon","tag-nasa","tag-nokia","tag-tech","tag-telescope"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}