With nearly 150 years of experience supporting government communications, AT&T is providing NASA with connectivity and on-site expertise
Key Takeaways:
- With nearly 150 years of experience supporting government communications, AT&T is providing NASA with connectivity and on-site expertise.
- AT&T strengthened mission-ready connectivity with targeted network improvements, pre-launch testing, and round-the-clock engineering support.
- FirstNet® kept NASA public safety teams reliably connected during Artemis II, from planning through launch-day operations.
AT&T is supporting NASA communications for the historic Artemis II Moon mission, extending our nearly 150-year track-record of supporting government connectivity.
Working side-by-side with NASA, AT&T is providing connectivity and on-site support for near-Earth and deep-space communications that help keep mission control and four astronauts connected as NASA’s Orion spacecraft travels nearly 250,000 miles into space and around the Moon.
“We knew NASA would be juggling countless priorities to support Artemis II, which is why we embedded with their team to anticipate their communications needs and support them every step of the way,” said Wes Anderson, president of Public Sector, AT&T. “Thanks to our long history of supporting government customers, we offer more than just connectivity – we bring the operational experience and hands-on partnership to help make sure everything is mission-ready.”
Partnering on Mission-Ready Connectivity
Launch preparation doesn’t happen overnight. Well before the countdown, AT&T worked with NASA to understand its network needs and connect NASA sites around the world, including major space centers and ground stations. We made technical upgrades where necessary to ensure mission-critical reliability and aligned communications support across several locations – including NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where AT&T staff were on site – to ensure immediate response to any issues around launch.
That work is ongoing: With practice runs and liftoff in the rearview mirror, our teams will continue to support Artemis II all the way through splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, and AT&T staff remain on site around the clock at Goddard, as well as NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Additional AT&T teams in Dallas, Chantilly, Va., and multiple international locations also continue to monitor the network, prepared to address any problems quickly and help keep the mission on track.
FirstNet: Public Safety’s Partner
With tens of thousands of additional users and devices expected at the launch site, NASA public safety is using FirstNet, Built with AT&T– the only network built with and for America’s first responders. The FirstNet team coordinated closely with NASA Protective Services and Emergency Management Operations to help ensure they could reliably communicate with their teams across the massive Kennedy Space Center.
The FirstNet Response Operations Group™ (ROG), led by former first responders,helped those teams anticipate any “what-ifs” and make on-the-fly decisions. One key feature that sets FirstNet apart from commercial networks is its dedicated fleet of deployable network assets available to FirstNet agencies at any time upon request. Unlike commercial carriers, which must share their resources among all users, FirstNet’s assets are reserved exclusively for public safety. For the Artemis II launch, that included:
- Deploying a SatCOLT (Satellite Cell on Light Truck) and CRD (Compact Rapid Deployable) from the dedicated FirstNet fleet to boost capacity for public safety and provide reliable, dedicated connectivity for NASA’s public safety teams.
- Leveraging the AT&T commercial fleet by bringing in an LCT (LEO Cell Trailer) to deliver high-speed, temporary cell service, and mitigate congestion.
- Strengthening indoor connectivity at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex with a Cell Booster Pro.
Additionally, AT&T Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) stationed its new NDR Connect and Care Trailer at NASA Kennedy’s Press Site to provide device charging to attendees.
150 Years of Pioneering: The Best is Yet to Come
Beyond supporting Artemis II, AT&T’s space legacy spans over six decades – from pioneering early satellite communications with Telstar to supporting NASA missions over the years, including the Apollo Moon landing.
That legacy is about to enter its next chapter: Later this year, FirstNet will offer beta satellite services, using an everyday smartphone to select first responders with AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird satellites. Plans are underway for a larger release in the future.
As we look ahead, AT&T remains dedicated to powering the next era of innovation – on Earth, in space, and beyond – connecting America to even greater possibilities.
