Nokia spins off Modul8 space venture into new company

Nokia has announced a significant move in its space ambitions. The company intends to spin off its Modul8 space communications venture into a separate, independent business.

The plan comes through a definitive agreement with Celestial Acquisition Corp., aiming to give Modul8 more flexibility, funding, and speed in a rapidly growing space communications market. Modul8, previously part of Nokia Bell Labs, focuses on building communication and computing solutions for space, including hardware, software, and services designed for extreme environments. The team already made headlines in 2025 by deploying the first cellular network on the Moon during the IM-2 mission.

The venture is also working with Axiom Space to integrate its technology into the next-generation lunar spacesuit (AxEMU), part of NASA’s Artemis program.

By spinning off Modul8, Nokia wants to:

• accelerate product development and deployment
• attract external investment
• scale solutions for future space missions

Despite the spin-off, Nokia will remain a major shareholder and continue supporting space-related connectivity, especially as non-terrestrial networks (NTN) become key for future technologies like 6G. The deal is expected to close by early summer 2026, pending approvals.

This move highlights Nokia’s strategy of taking innovations from Bell Labs research to real-world impact, even if that sometimes means letting them grow outside the company.

Source: Nokia

Thanks KaizerAllen for the tip 🙂