Lunar Communications Require New Propagation Models: Panel
Preparing for the next generation of human activity on the moon will require new spectrum propagation models to avoid conflicting communications spectrum uses there, NTIA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Sarah Morris said Wednesday during an agency panel discussion on lunar…
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spectrum. William Kozma, supervisor of the propagation modeling group at NTIA's institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), said the lack of atmosphere, as well as the moon's unique mineral composition and its irregular surface, mean the traditional modeling approach doesn't apply. The moon's distance is a big challenge to getting data for the creation of propagation models, speakers said. Michael Zemba, lunar communications engineer at NASA's Glenn Research Center, said Intuitive Machines' lunar lander mission early this year provided data that the company and agency are analyzing. He said a second Intuitive Machines mission will have a 4G LTE system on a lunar rover to help collect more. Rather than coalescing around one propagation model for the moon, it might make more sense to have a family of models, with different ones employed in different situations, said Chris Anderson, NTIA ITS theory division chief.