News

ESA and Singapore University of Technology and Design tighten cooperation to advance 5G/6G non-terrestrial networks

28 Jul 2025

ESA's Connectivity and Secure Communications and the Future Communications Research and Development Programme (FCP) at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have formalised a tighter research partnership on 5G/6G non-terrestrial networks (NTNs).  This collaboration falls within the Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity programme of ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES).

ESA-supported LIDE mission takes to orbit to demonstrate new technique for global 5G connectivity

28 Jul 2025

A new CubeSat developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA) has made it to orbit as a part of the Direct Access Live Demonstration (LIDE) mission. Aiming to test the feasibility and demonstrate establishing a stable 5G connection from low Earth orbit, LIDE serves as a proof-of-concept to provide connectivity anywhere in the world – especially in underserved areas.

Viasat begins work with MDA Space UK and SSTL on ESA's Moonlight programme

31 Jul 2025

The announcement took place during the UK Space Conference in Manchester, emphasising the UK Space Agency’s commitment to lunar exploration and development of deep space exploration technologies alongside ESA.

ESA and Nokia demonstrate AI-powered telemedicine over integrated satellite 5G network

18 Jul 2025

As part of a telemedicine demonstration, European Space Agency (ESA) teams based at the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) in Harwell, UK, and the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, partnered with leading telecommunications company Nokia to showcase telemedicine applications of the Real-time eXtended Reality Multimedia (RXRM) system.

Operations, commissioning and calibration activities of ESA-supported Greek In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) CubeSat mission begin after successful launch

16 Jul 2025

DUTHSat-2, the first of the Greek In Orbit Demonstration (IOD) CubeSat missions, has successfully launched from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, US, on 23 June on a SpaceX Falcon 9. The 6U CubeSat was one of many payloads aboard the Transporter-14 rideshare mission, which also carried 70 other payloads, including MicroSats, CubeSats and re-entry capsules. Early operations, commissioning and calibration activities of the spacecraft have begun.

ESA-supported Lacuna Space CubeSats launch to expand direct-to-device Internet of Things constellation

15 Jul 2025

Two European Space Agency (ESA)-funded CubeSat satellites, which form the beginnings of an Internet of Things (IoT) constellation to ambitiously provide connectivity for underserved areas, successfully launched into low Earth orbit from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, US, on a Transporter-14 mission and aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher on 23 June 2025 at 22:25pm BST (2:25pm PDT). The launch is a major step forward in scaling a world-leading direct-to-device IoT network. 

ESA-supported Hellenic Assembly, Integration & Testing Facility Clean Room and Infrastructure Implementation Phase begins

27 Jun 2025

The European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with Hellenic Aerospace Industry S.A. (HAI) as prime contractor and BCT Group as main subcontractor, has officially kicked off the contract for the implementation of a cleanroom and supporting infrastructure at the Hellenic Assembly, Integration & Testing Facility (HAITF).

First ESA-supported Greek In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) CubeSat ready for launch

18 Jun 2025

The first of the Greek In-Orbit Demonstration (IOD) CubeSat missions, DUTHSat-2, which is led by the Democritus University of Thrace, has been delivered to the launch provider ExoLaunch, and is ready for launch on the SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare mission, scheduled for June 2025. Having successfully completed functional and environmental testing in February 2025, the 6U CubeSat mission will capture images in the visible and near infrared spectrum, over both sea and land.

ESA, Telesat and RAL Space successfully demonstrate Q-Band satellite link over low Earth orbit

10 Jun 2025

ESA, Telesat and the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) RAL Space have reported a groundbreaking milestone in telecommunications technology, successfully establishing a Q-Band (38-39 GHz) link over LEO, between the RAL Space Chilbolton Observatory and the Telesat LEO 3 demonstration satellite.

ESA Supports Austrian Innovation in Multi-Orbit Satellite Communications Technology

29 May 2025

The European Space Agency (ESA), together with the Austrian Aerospace Agency (ALR/FFG) and the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure, is supporting the Multibeam Ka-band Satellite User Terminal (MUKAS) project, funded through ESA's Core Competitiveness programme, which is part of the Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES 4.0) programme, through its support of an Austrian consortium developing next-generation multi-orbit Satcom user terminal technology.