In late April, NASA and Nokia announced their goal of sending a 4G network unit to the moon later this year. Their intention is mainly to help with NASA’s Artemis program, which has the goal of returning astronauts to the moon within the decade.

The network is also being used to help research lunar ice and send the data back to Earth, since lunar ice is theorized to possibly be used for creating breathable oxygen and even fuel for space travel.

NASA selected Nokia’s Bell Labs to build the 4G network unit for the project as part of its Tipping Point Initiative, which is a series of partnerships with companies that develop key technologies dedicated to space exploration and lunar colonization.

While astronauts are already able to communicate via radio from the moon, being able to use smartphones and higher tech communication systems that are capable of projecting high-resolution videos and sending important scientific data is essential for Artemis to yield the best results.

The network unit is set to be taken to the moon via a SpaceX rocket. The unit itself is to be placed at the south pole of the moon and be remotely controlled from Earth.

“Being able to communicate on the Moon is critical to Artemis,” Walt Engelund, deputy associate administrator for programs at NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, said. “As critical as any other mission element like power, water to drink and air to breathe.”