Xona Launches Six Satellites — Launch of a Commercial Alternative to GPS
Credit: Xona Space Systems
Six satellites developed by the American startup Xona Space Systems will be launched into orbit this month. This will mark the launch of the first commercial alternative to GPS that offers high-precision positioning, TechCrunch reports.
The launch is scheduled for the end of the month. Four of the six spacecraft replicate the design of last year’s prototype, which validated the technology; Xona built the other two satellites in Burlingame, California. These two units will form the foundation of the future 258-satellite Pulsar constellation.
Xona was founded in 2019 by five engineers who met while pursuing graduate degrees in aerospace engineering at Stanford. In his dissertation, Chief Technology Officer Tyler Reid explored how low-Earth orbit satellites could enhance navigation. The business idea emerged from informal conversations among the friends.
Pulsar will provide centimeter-level geolocation accuracy, compared to the meter-level accuracy of GPS. The signal will be strong enough to be received inside buildings and in dense urban environments. According to Manning, the signal is resilient against jamming and spoofing—issues that plague government navigation systems.
The company had to solve two technical challenges. The first was achieving time synchronization without expensive onboard atomic clocks; this is accomplished through proximity to Earth and links to ground-based time sources. The second was compatibility with existing GPS receivers: Pulsar requires only a relatively simple software update to function. This opens up access to the existing market and simplifies the process of obtaining authorization to transmit navigation signals.
Once in orbit, the satellites will fly over mid-latitudes approximately eight times a day. At that point, Xona will begin beta testing Pulsar with real-world customers. TimeBeat CEO Ian Gough says the pilot will allow his engineers to verify and adjust the time on devices around the globe. The company expects to provide full coverage across the US, Europe, Japan, and South Korea by 2028.
Since its inception, Xona has raised just over $300 million from venture investors, including $20 million from the U.S. Space Force. Although the company focuses on providing commercial services, the U.S. government has also shown clear interest in the technology, as instances of satellite navigation signal jamming and spoofing during military conflicts become increasingly frequent.
