New Delhi: Going by the record, it is definitely special as it culminates in setting up the first 4G network on the Internet. Moonand establishing the first extra-terrestrial cellular mobility that could one day be extended to support future robotic and manned missions to space, and even to Mars.
The best part is that it is an Indian – born into a middle-class business family in New Delhi – who is leading the efforts to achieve the feat that mobile connectivity will provide them. NASAof the ambitious Artemis moon-landing program, which seeks to establish a long-term human-robot presence on the Moon as a precursor to future missions to Mars.
Nishant Batra, based in Espoo (Finland), is the global head of strategy and technology at the €22 billion Finnish telecommunications network major. NokiaWith responsibility for leading technical architecture and pioneering research at Holiday Bell Labs, the research and scientific development laboratory that has won nine Nobel Prizes and five Turing Prizes for driving state-of-the-art, future-defining innovations.
MBA from the prestigious INSEAD Business School, born in 1978, Batra holds a bachelor’s degree in computer applications from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya in Indore. Later, he completed a master’s degree in telecommunications and a master’s degree in computer science. Southern Methodist University in America. Ask him about the lunar connectivity project – awarded by NASA to Nokia in October 2020 – and Batra begins to reconstruct the challenges and opportunities.
But first things first: can I make regular calls to the Moon once the 4G network is up and running? And can one watch movies and videos from streaming players? He said, ‘If you run a 4G network on the moon, then this device will work there. And then if someone is carrying this device, they can call home, as long as it’s legally allowed. I’m not sure it will be legally allowed for a long, long time. These (networks) are too secure for the system, highly secure, (and) not for public use,” Batra, recently on a business trip to Delhi, told TOI.
NASA is eyeing a human landing on the Moon by 2024 as a follow-up to the historic 1969 moon-landing mission led by Neil ArmstrongUsing the network set up by Nokia seeks to help provide critical communications capability for tasks that astronauts will need to perform, such as remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and high-definition video streaming.
“With the Artemis mission, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore the lunar surface more quickly than ever before. We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and be the first to land on the Moon. will establish a long-term presence. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to make the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars,” the US space agency said while talking about the mission in September 2020 .
The idea of cellular networks is integral to the Artemis plan which envisages long-term work in space and fulfilling functions that support life away from Earth.
Batra – whose teams are also engaged in conducting cutting-edge research in 6G technologies – says lunar networks could be a reality only during this year. “The aim is to have it completed in the coming months … (but) since it’s a NASA project, I can’t tell you the exact launch date. But it’s just a matter of months, not years.”
Speaking about the complexities of the project, Batra says, “The big difference is that we are not using any customized communication links in this project. We are now using standard operating technology to communicate in the cis-lunar atmosphere. In fact, we are not building any new technology to make connections to the Moon.” The ease of regular networks opens up myriad possibilities. “If we talk about technological leaps, we can see cellular technologies in space in the future. what is possible today.”
And does the difficult and isolated lunar terrain make it challenging to deploy developed instruments on Earth? “The base station has to escape the lunar atmosphere. It has to be confirmed. For the base station, if the temperature is below minus 60 degrees, it fades. So, you have to stabilize the temperature to survive in this kind of environment. This is really a new invention. Similarly, the lack of moisture will have to be dealt with. the need to maintain humidity at the required level; At the same time, we should also protect the equipment from corrosion.”
Regarding the material, Batra says that while the standard electronics are the same as those being used on Earth, the construction of the base station is different from the typical base station. “In lunar space, you don’t need to mount the base station on the tower … there are no obstructions and interference.” And while the lunar mission is the immediate challenge, Batra’s teams are also working on new-age technologies, including those related to 6G and the immersive and highly-responsive virtual digital world as it is commonly called. metaverse,
Batra says that India and Indian engineering and IT talent is one of the best in the world and will play a vital role in the development of future technologies. “Currently India is doing well in terms of Applied Innovation, which focuses on how to get the next product, how to get the next software, how to get the next service. It would be a dream come true for me if I could do more work like Bell Labs in India, which focuses on fundamental innovation, not applied innovation. ,
He says that Nokia and Bell Labs will hire more from India. “At Bell Labs, we believe that the best talent in the world comes from Bangalore. This was also agreed upon by global leaders during our discussions. That is why we have decided to hire more people, especially from India. To start with standardization and 5G advanced.”
The best part is that it is an Indian – born into a middle-class business family in New Delhi – who is leading the efforts to achieve the feat that mobile connectivity will provide them. NASAof the ambitious Artemis moon-landing program, which seeks to establish a long-term human-robot presence on the Moon as a precursor to future missions to Mars.
Nishant Batra, based in Espoo (Finland), is the global head of strategy and technology at the €22 billion Finnish telecommunications network major. NokiaWith responsibility for leading technical architecture and pioneering research at Holiday Bell Labs, the research and scientific development laboratory that has won nine Nobel Prizes and five Turing Prizes for driving state-of-the-art, future-defining innovations.
MBA from the prestigious INSEAD Business School, born in 1978, Batra holds a bachelor’s degree in computer applications from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya in Indore. Later, he completed a master’s degree in telecommunications and a master’s degree in computer science. Southern Methodist University in America. Ask him about the lunar connectivity project – awarded by NASA to Nokia in October 2020 – and Batra begins to reconstruct the challenges and opportunities.
But first things first: can I make regular calls to the Moon once the 4G network is up and running? And can one watch movies and videos from streaming players? He said, ‘If you run a 4G network on the moon, then this device will work there. And then if someone is carrying this device, they can call home, as long as it’s legally allowed. I’m not sure it will be legally allowed for a long, long time. These (networks) are too secure for the system, highly secure, (and) not for public use,” Batra, recently on a business trip to Delhi, told TOI.
NASA is eyeing a human landing on the Moon by 2024 as a follow-up to the historic 1969 moon-landing mission led by Neil ArmstrongUsing the network set up by Nokia seeks to help provide critical communications capability for tasks that astronauts will need to perform, such as remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and high-definition video streaming.
“With the Artemis mission, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore the lunar surface more quickly than ever before. We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and be the first to land on the Moon. will establish a long-term presence. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to make the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars,” the US space agency said while talking about the mission in September 2020 .
The idea of cellular networks is integral to the Artemis plan which envisages long-term work in space and fulfilling functions that support life away from Earth.
Batra – whose teams are also engaged in conducting cutting-edge research in 6G technologies – says lunar networks could be a reality only during this year. “The aim is to have it completed in the coming months … (but) since it’s a NASA project, I can’t tell you the exact launch date. But it’s just a matter of months, not years.”
Speaking about the complexities of the project, Batra says, “The big difference is that we are not using any customized communication links in this project. We are now using standard operating technology to communicate in the cis-lunar atmosphere. In fact, we are not building any new technology to make connections to the Moon.” The ease of regular networks opens up myriad possibilities. “If we talk about technological leaps, we can see cellular technologies in space in the future. what is possible today.”
And does the difficult and isolated lunar terrain make it challenging to deploy developed instruments on Earth? “The base station has to escape the lunar atmosphere. It has to be confirmed. For the base station, if the temperature is below minus 60 degrees, it fades. So, you have to stabilize the temperature to survive in this kind of environment. This is really a new invention. Similarly, the lack of moisture will have to be dealt with. the need to maintain humidity at the required level; At the same time, we should also protect the equipment from corrosion.”
Regarding the material, Batra says that while the standard electronics are the same as those being used on Earth, the construction of the base station is different from the typical base station. “In lunar space, you don’t need to mount the base station on the tower … there are no obstructions and interference.” And while the lunar mission is the immediate challenge, Batra’s teams are also working on new-age technologies, including those related to 6G and the immersive and highly-responsive virtual digital world as it is commonly called. metaverse,
Batra says that India and Indian engineering and IT talent is one of the best in the world and will play a vital role in the development of future technologies. “Currently India is doing well in terms of Applied Innovation, which focuses on how to get the next product, how to get the next software, how to get the next service. It would be a dream come true for me if I could do more work like Bell Labs in India, which focuses on fundamental innovation, not applied innovation. ,
He says that Nokia and Bell Labs will hire more from India. “At Bell Labs, we believe that the best talent in the world comes from Bangalore. This was also agreed upon by global leaders during our discussions. That is why we have decided to hire more people, especially from India. To start with standardization and 5G advanced.”