U-M first in the world to offer WiFi in space

The successful rollout of WiFi 6E has led to a new pilot project. This summer, the University of Michigan will be the first academic institution in the world to offer WiFi in space: MUniverse. Students, faculty, and staff will soon be able to take remote learning and working to a new level.

Plans have begun for building a base on the moon that will be known as "Wolverine Crater." It is slated to be completed on April 1, 2024.

Wolverine Crater (Achaia Murphy, ITS Communications)

Wolverine Crater will be able to connect to the International Space Station for a student experiment involving the impact of the space environment on the cerebellar system. Another will demonstrate newly-developed transistor radio hardware to enable applications on "dumb" phones.

"This is the first in a long line of projects in space planned for the university," said Vernal Quipp, executive director of interstellar networking. "My competitive nature has been driving all of this work, and I have been practicing my smug expression for the press conference. And I can't wait to have the corner office... it's gonna be lit, fam!"

Refer to the project page for a timeline and instructions for accessing the wireless network.

Back to my articles and books page

Back to my work page

Back to my home page