Lockheed Martin is one step closer to showing off how 5G.MIL works® This feature can reach all domains worldwide. The company ultimately validated in a successful laboratory demonstration that its innovative space payload is set to provide advanced global communications capabilities from orbit.
During an October demonstration, Lockheed Martin showcased the industry’s first fully remanufactured advanced 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) satellite base station, developed as the space component of the company’s 5G.MIL Integrated Network Solutions program did.
In 2024, the company plans to launch this payload into orbit on a self-funded mission to bring 5G capabilities to the final frontier and demonstrate its ability to connect the planet.
In a live hardware-in-the-loop lab environment, the Advanced 5G NTN satellite base station connects and connects prototype NTN user equipment to high speeds, compliant with 3GPP Release 17, an industry standard for increased radio flexibility and low latency. Data transfer has been executed. During the simulated satellite orbit, the satellite base station operated on space-hardened flight hardware and ground-based user equipment to successfully connect and transfer data, including live video streaming.
“Space layer capabilities are essential for consistent, secure connectivity and global coverage of 5G communications systems. 5G from space will enable integrated full-spectrum command and control operations, especially in harsh environments, remote locations, and conflict zones. “We will,” said Joe Rickards, Lockheed Martin vice president of connectivity, transportation and access. “Our satellite base station is real, operational hardware, and we are excited about the next step of integrating this powerful payload into our self-funded tactical satellite launching next year.”
Lockheed Martin’s advanced satellite base stations (technically gNodeBs) for 5G:
- Includes a complete 5G New Radio (NR) Radio Access Network (RAN) stack, RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), and 5G Stand Alone (SA) core running on space-certified flight hardware flown on a TacSat. Masu.
- It is reprogrammable in orbit using Lockheed Martin’s SmartSat™ software-defined satellite architecture.
- It can be built in a split architecture with a control unit (CU) on the ground and a distributed unit (DU) on the satellite, further enhancing network implementation options.
- Connect to industry-leading prototype NTN user equipment via a space communications channel emulator that introduces Doppler and delay parameters consistent with satellite low orbit.
