TOULOUSE, France - Airbus UpNext, a wholly owned subsidiary of Airbus in Toulouse, France, has launched a new technology demonstrator called SpaceRAN aimed at advancing standardized global connectivity through 5G non-terrestrial network, or NTN, capabilities.
The SpaceRAN demonstrator is designed to explore how 5G radio access network functions can be deployed in space to support interoperable, globally available connectivity for commercial, defense, and government users. Airbus said the effort is intended to validate the feasibility of standardized 5G NTN architectures across a wide range of applications.
SpaceRAN will leverage Airbus software-defined satellite capabilities to process and manage 5G signals directly in orbit. Unlike traditional bent-pipe satellite architectures that relay signals to the ground for processing, the demonstrator will use onboard regenerative processing to reduce latency, increase data throughput, and enable more flexible network routing, including potential user-to-user connectivity.
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By integrating radio access network functions into the satellite payload, the system is expected to support more efficient network management and improved performance compared with conventional satellite communications systems.
"The successful exploration of this technology will unlock advantages across various sectors," said Michael Augello, chief executive officer of Airbus UpNext. "For commercial aviation, it holds the potential to improve operational efficiency and simplify interoperability, while enabling enhanced passenger connectivity. For military and government users, it is intended to provide more resilient and secure communications to support situational awareness and real-time decision-making."
Airbus has assembled a consortium of partners for the SpaceRAN demonstrator, including Aalyria, AccelerComm, CesiumAstro, Deutsche Telekom, Eutelsat, the Industrial Technology Research Institute, Keysight Technologies, Onati, Radisys, Sener, and ST Engineering iDirect.
The project is being developed as part of Air!5G, an initiative supported by the French government through the France 2030 investment plan under its Future Networks strategy. Airbus said the demonstrator is expected to deliver initial results by 2028 and will help inform the development of next-generation wireless technologies, including 6G, while contributing to lower orbital data transmission costs.
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Software defined
A key element of the effort is the use of software-defined satellite technology, which allows satellite payloads to be reprogrammed from the ground after launch. The collaboration will support two end-to-end test platforms: an Earth-based test bed designed to emulate low Earth orbit satellite behavior, including inter-satellite data transfer and routing, and an in-orbit regenerative payload hosted on an Airbus LEO satellite.
The in-orbit payload will communicate with multiple terrestrial and airborne assets and function as a 5G non-terrestrial base station in space, enabling direct connectivity with aircraft and ground users.
If you would like, I can also produce an AEO-style Q&A section, add frequency-band and waveform context, or frame this against military SATCOM and future 6G architectures.
