Airbus UpNext Launches SpaceRAN to Test 5G NTN Processing in Orbit
Airbus UpNext has launched SpaceRAN, a new in-orbit demonstrator designed to explore advanced 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) capabilities and validate standardized global connectivity from space.
The project will test how 5G radio access network functions can be handled directly onboard satellites using software-defined payloads, rather than simply relaying signals to the ground. By processing data in orbit, SpaceRAN aims to reduce latency, improve throughput, and enable more efficient routing including future user-to-user connectivity via satellite.
SpaceRAN is focused on proving that 3GPP-aligned 5G can operate as a truly global, interoperable access technology across commercial, government, and defense use cases. The demonstrator also serves as a stepping stone toward 6G, helping to de-risk regenerative payloads and space-based RAN architectures.
The initiative brings together a broad ecosystem spanning satellite operators, mobile network players, and test specialists, including Deutsche Telekom, Eutelsat, and Keysight, highlighting growing industry alignment around standardized 5G NTN. First results from the SpaceRAN demonstrator are expected by 2028, under the French government-backed Air!5G program.