Canadian space technology firm still has sights set on moon after Japanese lander crash
Story by Chris Knight • National Post
A lunar rover mockup made by Clearpath Robotics tests a deep learning algorithm© Provided by National Post
When the lunar lander from Japanese firm ispace crashed on the surface of the moon this week, it took with it the hopes of Canadian space technology company Mission Control Space Services. But not for long.
The Ottawa firm had partnered with ispace and with the space program of the United Arab Emirates to develop a deep-learning A.I. system for the UAE’s tiny Rashid rover. The rover, about the size of a microwave oven, was designed to operate for two weeks on the lunar surface, until the end of the moon’s long day.
Instead, it crashed and was presumed destroyed when the Hakuto-R mission made a hard landing on the lunar surface after running out of fuel during its final descent.
Ewan Reid, founder and CEO of eight-year-old Mission Control Space Services, said he was disappointed by the mission failure, but added that the company would continue to develop and deploy its deep-learning systems on future missions to the moon and, perhaps, Mars.
What time is it on the moon? One small step for lunar time
“It isn’t something that is a setback, it’s more in the category of a missed opportunity,” he told the National Post. “It wasn’t as if our technology failed and therefore we would have lost the trust of our customers. Rather we didn’t have a chance to validate the technology and cement the trust of our customers. So it wasn’t a setback, it was just not the step forward that we hoped it would be.”
He noted that the software and its Montreal-manufactured computer hardware were certified as operational just before the crash.
“We’re still the first to deploy deep learning A.I. in lunar orbit,” he said. “We are the first and only Canadian-owned company to actually deploy technology on a lunar rover mission.”
The company’s technology, called Spacefarer, would allow a rover to identify surface details that could then be transmitted back to Earth – saving bandwidth by, for instance, not sending data about the black sky above – or potentially to even navigate on its own, avoiding obstacles and seeking out areas of scientific interest. The moon, which got its first car in 1971 aboard Apollo 15, might one day join the Earth in having self-driving vehicles.
Reid is excited about potential Earth-orbit uses of the technology as well. A deep learning A.I. system could be used to filter out clouds from pictures taken from space, or automatically detect unregistered ocean vessels.
“Or understand exactly where a forest fire is, right away on board the spacecraft, and take a closer image to see where it could go next,” he said. “The list goes on and on of applications for deep learning in space.”
Even now, Mission Control Space Services’ algorithm is set to be beamed to OPS-SAT, a “flying laboratory” operated the European Space Agency, designed to test new techniques and technologies in low-Earth orbit.
“This is not going to stop us,” said Reid. “This is going to encourage us to keep trying and eventually to get it right and eventually land something softly on the moon and represent Canada in this new space era.”
He added that Mission Control Space Services already has plans for future missions, though he couldn’t yet go into specifics. But he pointed out that in the recent federal budget, Canada announced several billion dollars in space-related initiatives, including $1.2 billion over 13 years to develop a lunar utility vehicle to assist astronauts on the moon.
“Canada wants to be a major player in the new space economy, the new lunar economy, wants to be a runner in the space race,” said Reid. “And that’s extremely important for Canadian industry. With the support of the Canadian government, we can be leaders … We’re very well positioned to support a program like the lunar utility vehicle.”
He also told a story about the A.I. technology on the Rashid rover. Because his company tends to work with software rather than hardware, it doesn’t have much experience in creating part numbers for physical products. “We ended up having one of our employee’s daughter write the part number on that unit.”
When it comes to Canada’s future in space, then, the handwriting is on the wall. And on the moon.
Nokia plans to set up the first 4G cell network on the Moon later this year
Story by Scott Sutherland • The Weather Network
In planning for future lunar missions, NASA and Nokia have teamed up to deploy the first 4G communications network on the Moon.
In the years ahead, NASA has some ambitious plans for the Moon. Artemis II is expected to launch in November 2024, carrying 3 American astronauts and one Canadian on the first crewed lunar mission since 1972. Following that, Artemis III is scheduled for sometime in 2025. Using new technologies and sporting newly designed spacesuits, a team of astronauts will touch down near the Moon's south pole.
In the near term, these missions are intended as stepping stones for establishing the Lunar Gateway space station as a permanent human presence around the Moon. From there, Gateway will support further exploration of the lunar surface. In the long term, the station will also provide us with the knowledge necessary to send the first human missions to Mars.
However, for these plans to succeed, there needs to be a leap forward in space communication technology. To make that happen, NASA turned to Nokia.
In November 2023, SpaceX is expected to launch Intuitive Machines' IM-2 Nova-C lunar lander on a journey to touch down next to Shackleton crater, near the Moon's south pole. The primary mission of Nova-C is to extract a sample from a metre below the lunar surface to test for the presence of water ice. This will be the first attempt at extracting resources from the Moon. In addition, it will also release Lunar Outpost's M1 MAPP rover to roll around the landing site and perform a second 'first' for space exploration.
This artist's conception drawing shows what the Nova-C lander and M1 MAPP rover will look like at their landing site on the Moon. Credit: Nokia
As M1 MAPP roams about, part of its mission will be to deploy hardware designed by Nokia to establish a space-hardened, two-way 4G communications network with Nova-C.
Establishing the first 4G network on the Moon
"We are delivering a complete end-to-end LTE network that has multiple parts to it," Thierry E. Klein, the President of Bell Labs Solutions Research, said in a Nokia press release. "The first part is an LTE base station with integrated Evolved Packet Core network functionality." A wireless communication system with Evolved Packet Core, or EPC, is one that treats voice as the same as data on the network.
"It's integrated into a very small, ultra-compact form factor that will go on the lunar lander from our mission partner, Intuitive Machines, along with a passive antenna system," Klein explained. "The second part is the user equipment and an omni-directional antenna that will be integrated in a rover. The rovers will be transported to the lunar surface and autonomously deployed by the lunar lander. An LTE link will be established between the lander and the rover to provide lunar surface connectivity."
Nokia plans to set up the first 4G cell network on the Moon later this year© Provided by The Weather NetworkWhile this view may not be exactly what the M1 MAPP rover records as it rolls around, this simulation does show what the robot will need to track as it navigates and runs its tests — terrain, temperature, battery charge, rate of message delivery (throughput), and communication signal quality. Credit: Nokia
According to Klein, the purpose of using a rover is to test communications over a range of distances. The rover will stay within a few hundred metres of the lander to establish a short-range network. Then, it will drive between two and three kilometres away to test long-range communications.
Even though 4G is proven technology on Earth, putting a network on the Moon poses challenges over and above what we encounter here.
First, the equipment must be tough enough to survive both the vibrations and g-forces of the launch and the rigours of the landing. Second, there's the exposure to vacuum and the potential impact of cosmic rays on the electronics while on the lunar surface. Third, temperatures at the lunar south pole vary greatly between direct sunlight and shadow.
Nokia plans to set up the first 4G cell network on the Moon later this year© Provided by The Weather NetworkThis image of Shackleton crater, near the lunar south pole, was taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. On the left is how it appears to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), while on the right, data from LRO's Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) reveals the interior of the perpetually-shadowed crater. Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio
While the rover will avoid travelling into the perpetually-shadowed craters in the region, a high crater edge or large boulder casts a long shadow at the south pole. Thus, a wrong turn or a poorly-planned route could plunge the rover into extreme cold conditions. Also, Nokia says that, even across the few centimetres thickness of their antennas, there could be a temperature difference of more than 100°C!
Additionally, the lunar environment and the properties of the lunar regolith may impose unique challenges and limitations on the hardware and on how radio waves propagate across the surface.
"The lessons learned from this first mission will be invaluable for future space exploration as well as for connectivity in remote parts of Earth," Nokia said on their website. "The long-term goal is to eventually deploy a permanent cellular network on the Moon so its future visitors – whether rovers, robots or humans – can easily communicate with voice, video and data applications. Our initial foray to the Moon is the first step toward connecting the far-flung corners of space."
Editor's note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that this mission had an expected launch in late June of 2023 and named the Nova-C landing site as being near a crater named Malapert A. These details are for Intuitive Machines' IM-1 mission. Nokia's lunar 4G network will be part of the IM-2 mission, which is expected to launch in November 2023 and land near Shackleton crater. These details have been corrected in the article above, and we apologize for any confusion.
Recalling Ranger 4, first U.S. spacecraft to land on another celestial body
On Monday, April 23, 1962, the Ranger 4 launched into space. Its mission was a part of NASA's unmanned Ranger program, which was created to get the first closeup images of the moon's surface.
The Ranger spacecraft was developed to capture images of the moon's surface and transmit them to Earth and then explode upon lunar impact.
Recalling Ranger 4, the first U.S. spacecraft to land on another celestial body© Provided by The Weather Network"Ranger IV satellite for use at the parade of progress show at the Public Hall Cleveland Ohio." Courtesy of NASA/Wikipedia
Ranger 1 launched in August 1961 and Ranger 2 launched in November of the same year. They both failed during the launch. Ranger 3 launched on Jan. 26, 1962, and missed the moon.
Ranger 4's mission is not considered "successful," but it did capture some footage of the moon's surface, and it was the United States' first spacecraft to reach another celestial body.
The mission failed because a computer onboard malfunctioned and didn't deploy the solar panels and navigation systems. The spacecraft ended up crashing on the far side of the moon and did not return any scientific data to Earth.
Ranger 7 was the first successful mission, launching on July 28, 1964. It transmitted images of the moon's surface to Earth.
Recalling Ranger 4, the first U.S. spacecraft to land on another celestial body© Provided by The Weather NetworkFirst image of the moon returned by a Ranger mission. Courtesy of NASA/Wikipedia
There were two more Ranger missions after the 7, and they were both successful. Ranger 9 was the program's final mission which launched in March 1965.
To learn about Ranger 4, listen to today's episode of This Day in Weather History
Thumbnail: Courtesy of NASA
