Lockheed Martin believes that it now only one step away from showcasing how its space-based functionality can attain worldwide after a profitable lab demonstration of its 5G.MIL expertise.
The corporate stated it has validated that its house payload is about to ship world superior communications capabilities from orbit. Throughout its demonstration, Lockheed Martin showcased “the {industry}’s first absolutely regenerative Superior 5G non-terrestrial community [NTN] satellite base station”, developed as an area part of the corporate’s 5G.MIL Unified Community Options programme. In 2024, in a self-funded mission, the corporate will launch this payload to orbit bringing 5G’s capabilities to “the ultimate frontier” to show its functionality to attach the globe.
The Superior Satellite Base Station for 5G, or gNodeB, features a full 5G new radio (NR) radio-access community (RAN) stack, RAN clever controller (RIC) and 5G stand-alone (SA) core operating on space-qualified flight {hardware} that can fly on the TacSat. It’s reprogrammable on orbit utilizing Lockheed Martin’s SmartSat software-defined satellite structure and connects to industry-leading prototype NTN consumer gear by way of an area communications channel emulator that launched doppler and delay parameters in keeping with a satellite low-Earth orbit.
“Area-based communications will present high-speed backhaul to land, air and sea 5G.MIL hybrid base stations in addition to direct entry to consumer gear operating 3GPP NTN customary protocols from orbit,” stated Dan Rice, vice-president for Lockheed Martin’s 5G.MIL programmes.
“Regenerative NTN options allow direct, satellite-based safe communications between customers in a protection space – bypassing extra weak terrestrial networks when essential.”
Joe Rickers, Lockheed Martin’s vice-president for connectivity, transport and entry, added: “Area layer capabilities are important for constant, safe connectivity and world protection for 5G communications programs. 5G from house will allow joint all-domain command and management operations particularly in austere environments, distant places and contested areas.
“Our satellite base station is actual, operational {hardware} and we’re excited for the following step – integrating this highly effective payload into our self-funded tactical satellite which we’ll launch subsequent yr.”
Within the demo that passed off in a reside hardware-in-the-loop lab surroundings, the Superior 5G NTN satellite base station carried out high-speed knowledge transfers connecting with prototype NTN consumer gear, compliant with the 3GPP Launch 17 5G customary for improved radio flexibility and low latency.
Throughout a simulated satellite orbital move, the satellite base station, operating on space-hardened flight {hardware} and the consumer gear on the bottom efficiently related and transferred knowledge, together with reside video streaming.
Within the three years main as much as the pre-launch demonstration, Lockheed Martin has been has been working with key subcontractors similar to AccelerComm, which offered a complicated 5G NTN Layer 1 PHY answer, developed to assist Lockheed Martin’s system necessities and house flight {hardware} specs; Radisys, which equipped 5G NTN Layer 2/3 and 5G SA Core software program; and Keysight which supported 3GPP standards-based growth testing of Lockheed Martin’s regenerative 5G NTN base station.
Commenting on the demo AccelerComm CEO Tom Cronk stated: “5G satellite communication guarantees to unlock an entire new world of providers and purposes for authorities organisations and people…An area-deployed, scalable 3GPP Launch 17 appropriate 5G gNodeB proves that 5G NTN communications is a actuality.
“We look ahead to persevering with our partnership, and to additional creating superior 5G Layer 1 NTN options that ship the robustness, latency, and throughput which can be crucial to the success of 5G in house.”
