ESA’s 5G/6G laboratory at its European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands successfully connected to the LEO 3 satellite operated by Telesat, a leading global satellite operator. The test was made possible through a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year between ESA and Telesat, which provided access to the LEO 3 demonstration satellite. The LEO 3 satellite serves an important role for low-latency customer applications testing, as well as antenna and modem development.
Using Amarisoft’s 5G technology, the team established and maintained a stable connection with the satellite as it moved across the sky, from just above the horizon to its peak elevation of 38 degrees and back down again. While similar experiments have been conducted with satellites in geostationary orbits, this marks the first successful implementation of 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) technology with a LEO satellite moving fast with respect to a user on the ground.
Image Credit: ESA
