In-Orbit Testing for 5G Advanced and 6G Non-terrestrial Networks: The 6G LINO Mission

The integration of satellite technology into mobile networks, as formalized in 3GPP Release 17, is essential to expanding connectivity beyond the reach of terrestrial infrastructure. As the industry advances towards 6G, non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) will play a critical role. The 6G LINO mission establishes an laboratory in-orbit (LINO) to enable flexible experimentation with future 6G applications. Phase one focuses on satellite development, launch and initial experimentation phase, followed by an open laboratory phase that invites broad participation from industry and academia. The payload includes an on-board 5G New Radio base station (gNodeB) and supports dynamic in-orbit reconfigurability, spectrum optimization through AI, and seamless handovers between terrestrial and satellite networks. The payload features a versatile processing platform and multi-band transceivers, with remote update capabilities. This paper presents a technical overview of the payload, baseline use cases, and outlines opportunities for open experimentation.