Nokia's ambitious lunar mission to deploy a cellular network on the Moon recently stirred excitement but fell short of making the first 4G call from the lunar surface due to a technical glitch.

Partnering with NASA for Intuitive Machines' IM-2 mission, Nokia successfully deployed the Lunar Surface Communication System via the Athena lander. However, a critical landing error caused the lander to tilt, limiting solar panel power generation and hampering the intended call.

Despite this setback, Nokia still achieved a significant milestone by establishing a 4G network in the lunar south pole region. The company confirmed essential network functionalities, successfully transmitting data to ground stations on Earth.

Nokia's President of Bell Labs Solution Research acknowledged the achievement and the challenges faced, expressing pride in deploying the first cellular network on the Moon.