Xona Space Systems’ first production-class satellite, called Pulsar-0, is being prepped for launch and will test super-accurate next-generation satnav (GPS) technology from low Earth orbit designed to make up for the shortcomings of GPS.
When the US Global Positioning System was conceived in the 1990s, none of the capabilities that Xona Space Systems is delivering now was possible.
Constellations in low Earth orbit used to need hundreds of satellites to provide constant coverage over the entire globe, but advances in electronics and lower launch costs have changed this.
Xona’s system will provide a valuable addition to the existing GPS infrastructure when just 16 satellites are in orbit, with the company hoping to have most of its constellation in orbit by 2030. This will give it a valuable edge in the market, with other companies looking at ways to provide back-up for GPS and autonomous vehicles that rely on it.