Antwerp, Belgium – June 18, 2026 – Antwerp Space, part of OHB Group, signed the contract for developing the Advancing Regenerative 5G Satellite Networks mission of the European Space Agency (ESA). The project will develop one of Europe’s first regenerative 5G satellite base stations for Low Earth Orbit constellations. Antwerp Space, acting as Prime Contractor is leading the implementation of the mission, which features a significant Belgian industrial and scientific contribution.
The project, called the “Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity programme”, part of ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme. This activity aims to develop and demonstrate a regenerative 5G NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) “gNodeB” onboard a satellite. The initiative will validate the feasibility of performing full 5G base station processing directly in orbit under realistic operating conditions for 5G handheld devices.
Antwerp Space initiated the concept and brought together key European partners including AccelerComm (UK), Lasting Software (Romania) and imec (Belgium). With a total value of approximately €4 million and a duration of 2.5 years, the project represents a significant step towards the industrialization of regenerative satellite communication systems in Europe to serve handheld devices.
Moving beyond traditional “bent-pipe” architectures, the project focuses on enabling satellites to process and manage communications onboard, providing significant improvements in efficiency, flexibility, and latency. Key innovations include dynamic user handling, beam hopping, advanced hardware configurations, power allocation strategies tailored to LEO constellations and the implementation of some of the latest features of the 3GPP NTN specifications.
Antwerp Space will lead the system architecture, integration, and overall project execution, while also contributing advanced digital signal processing technologies. AccelerComm will provide high-performance physical layer (PHY) solutions, imec will support research and algorithm innovation, and Lasting Software will contribute to software development and satellite channel emulation.
“Regenerative NTN is a critical evolution for satellite communications, enabling the transition toward fully integrated 5G and 6G networks spanning space and terrestrial use of handheld devices,” said Koen Puimège, Managing Director of Antwerp Space. “This project positions Europe at the forefront of that transition, demonstrating that advanced base station functionality can be successfully deployed onboard LEO platforms.”
“This initiative opens significant commercial opportunities across both civilian and defence markets. It is an important step in strengthening Antwerp Space’s position in the emerging 5G/6G NTN market, and in anchoring our long-term role in next-generation satellite communications.”
“Antwerp Space acknowledges that this activity is part of the ESA ARTES mission and this Contract is carried out and funded by the European Space Agency. The view expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Space Agency”.
ESA credits
About ESA’s Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity programme
The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space, coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its Member States to conduct space programmes and activities. ESA’s ‘Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity’ strategic programme line is advancing 5G and 6G technologies to support the digital transformation of Europe by integrating satellite and ground networks. This fusion of terrestrial (TN) and non-terrestrial networks (NTN) will revolutionise how we live, work and communicate in terms of smart mobility, global coverage, security and network resilience. The programme aims to promote the standardisation of seamless global connectivity for various industries and applications, including telemedicine, tele-education, and autonomous vehicles, airplanes and ships.
The flagship ECSAT 5G/6G Hub (UK), developed by CGI with the UK Space Agency, is a centre for innovation and demonstration, tailored to meet the growing demands of stakeholders such as operators, technology and service providers, and applications developers. The ESTEC Telecom 5G/6G Lab (Netherlands) features a variety of testing facilities for TN/NTN and offers a collaborative space for our industry partners.
This programme is part of ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES).
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