A dark blue van stands at the ready in front of a 25-metre-wide antenna, framed by a sky of deep cerulean.

One of two European Space Agency’s mobile laboratories, this van – part of the agency's Advanced NTN Telecommunication Laboratory – is used primarily for the testing of advanced Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs).

NTNs are wireless communication systems that operate via satellites in various orbits, as well as through other platforms, like airplanes or balloons, flying at lower altitudes.

To establish and test connections with satellites, the van’s roof is equipped with an antenna co-developed for ESA by Kebni in Sweden and A.D.S. International in Italy.

“The interior features various radio equipment, including spectrum analysers, software-defined radios, and custom developed software,” adds ESA's Telecommunications Engineer Giovanni Serafini. “Depending on the activity, we can also host our partners’ equipment and provide power and access to the internet or required radio frequency.”

Batteries and inverters power the equipment, and power generators located in the van's trunk ensure that this laboratory on wheels can be self-sufficient for several days.

The van doesn’t just idle in its dedicated parking spot at ESTEC, ESA’s technical centre in the Netherlands – it collects one achievement after another. Among the most recent ones is performing the first 5G New Radio signal handover to a satellite constellation in low Earth orbit.

In our increasingly digital world, assuring stable and reliable connectivity is key. ESA is supporting innovation in satellite communications mainly through its Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity programme, part of the Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES).

This image was taken during a Q-band test campaign at RAL Space’s Chilbolton Observatory research facility in the UK. The van’s next field trip will be to the European Conference on Networks and Communications (EuCNC) & 6G Summit taking place in Málaga, Spain, in June.