Image: Xona Space
What’s new: Significant progress toward commercial LEO PNT.
Why it’s important: LEO PNT can be stronger, more accurate, and more resilient to disruption than GNSS signals.
What else to know:
- Inside GNSS has started a column dedicated to LEO PNT.
- Xona is a member of the RNT Foundation.
U.S. Clears Xona’s Pulsar for Full Constellation Deployment
First-of-its-kind FCC authorization clears Xona to broadcast Pulsar alongside GPS from its planned constellation of more than 250 satellites.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has authorized Xona to broadcast the world’s first commercial navigation signal designed to operate alongside GPS from its full Low Earth Orbit satellite constellation.
The first-of-its-kind authorization comes as Xona prepares to launch its first six production satellites in October and scales manufacturing at its satellite production facility in Burlingame, California. With this authorization, Xona will become the only FCC-authorized private navigation constellation to operate next to nation-state systems from the United States, Europe, China, and Russia.
Pulsar is the first navigation system purpose-built for the demands of modern devices and infrastructure. Its signals are up to 100 times stronger than GPS, protected against spoofing through a dynamic cryptographic watermark, and designed to work with existing navigation hardware through software and firmware updates.
