Electronics Weekly
The agency has signed a memorandum of intent with Constellation Technologies & Operations (CTO), a Paris-based specialist in space-based connectivity services. The organisations will conduct joint experiments in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with a pathfinder satellite.
The tests will focus on the “Early Test”, says the ESA — the first regenerative payload operating in the 5G mmWave band. It will be onboard a satellite scheduled for launch in June 2025. The work will also involve the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT), which is based in Harwell, Oxfordshire.
CTO
“This alliance with ESA reflects a shared ambition: to build a competitive European sovereignty in space connectivity, powered by bold technology designed and developed in Europe,” said Charles Delfieux, CEO and founder of CTO. “We’re proving that it’s possible to compete on a global scale without compromise—giving telecom operators back control over their future in space. Space is the new frontier for telecoms!”
For its part, the ESA highlighted the importance of resilient connectivity for Europe. Laurent Jaffart, Director of Connectivity and Secure Communications at ESA commented:
“This agreement aligns with ESA’s strategy to support the rise of innovative European players and jointly build resilient connectivity. The upcoming tests with CTO will pave the way for new hybrid use cases at the intersection of terrestrial and space networks.”
Pathfinder
The satellite is designed to be the technological pathfinder of CTO’s future constellation. And the hope is it will validate the interoperability of space and terrestrial networks. This in turn should enable more cost-effective, and sustainable hybrid connectivity.
ESA describes itself as a “key supporter of the development of 3GPP-compliant Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN)”. It means it sees this latest initiative as a driver for European autonomy.
“The combination of a regenerative payload developed in France and ESA’s experimental capabilities at ECSAT (Oxfordshire, UK) marks a major step forward in the race for European technological sovereignty,” states the agency.
Paris
Pictured above are Charles Delfieux (CEO, CTO), Antonio Franchi (Head of 5G/6G NTN Programme Office, ESA), Patrice Sidot (Head of Commercial Partnerships, CTO). They are outside the ESA HQ in Paris.
Image: ESA / Constellation Technologies & Operations
See also: European Space Agency looks ahead with ESA Strategy 2040
