Japan launches navigation satellite into orbit aboard H3

Japan’s flagship H3 rocket put a key component of Japan’s satellite navigation program to eventually wean the nation off its dependence on foreign satellites into orbit on Feb. 2 on its fifth mission. The launch from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture marked the H3’s fourth consecutive successful launch.

The H3 is the successor to the H-2A rocket and was jointly developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.

The Michibiki No. 6 is a positioning satellite that enhances the accuracy of location information for smartphones. It is the fifth spacecraft in the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, a satellite network with multiple orbits designed to ensure that at least one satellite is positioned near the zenith over Japan at all times.

The development cost for three Michibiki satellites is approximately 100 billion yen ($642 million). Future plans call for an 11-satellite system, which is expected to improve smartphone location accuracy from the current 5 to 10 meters to within 1 meter. www.asahi.com

EUSPA launches GNSS and Secure SATCOM User Technology Report

The European Union Agency for Space Programme (EUSPA) has released its first GNSS and secure satellite communications (SATCOM) user technology report, offering an overview of recent developments in GNSS and SATCOM. This publication combines and expands upon previous GNSS user technology and secure SATCOM market and user technology reports, offering a comprehensive look at current trends and advancements in user technology.

The report examines the satellite industry’s ongoing transformation, influenced by evolving security concerns, increased digitalization efforts, rapid progress in artificial intelligence (AI) and the emergence of the New Space sector. www.euspa.europa.eu

ISRO’s NVS-02 orbit raise disrupted by valve issue

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been unable to perform the intended orbit raising operations for the NVS-02 satellite due to a valve malfunction. The NVS-02, the second satellite in the NVS series, was launched by the ISRO on January 29 as part of its landmark 100th launch from Sriharikota.

The space agency said that the orbit raising operations towards positioning the satellite to the designated orbital slot could not be carried out as the valves for admitting the oxidiser to fire the thrusters for orbit raising did not open.

The ISRO was supposed to carry out the orbit raising operations after the launch, but has been unable to perform the manoeuvres due to the glitch. The operations were to be executed by the Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka. www.thehindu.com

CRPAs for PNT removed from ITAR list

The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) has changed the regulatory status of Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas (CRPAs) for position, navigation and timing (PNT). Starting September 2025, CRPAs will no longer be subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Instead, they will be reclassified under the less restrictive Export Administration Regulations (EAR) list, which is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce.

The rule, in part, removes items from the U.S. Munitions List (USML) “that no longer warrant inclusion.” According to the rule, “certain anti-jam antennas no longer provide a critical military advantage, with increasing commercial utilization applicable to civil GPS resiliency.” By removing CRPAs for PNT, “the Department intends to facilitate civil global navigation system resiliency

The importance of CRPAs lies in their ability to protect GNSS receivers from interference and jamming. GNSS signals are inherently weak and susceptible to both deliberate and unintentional interference. CRPAs work by adjusting their reception pattern to create nulls in the direction of interfering signals while maintaining reception from desired satellite signals. This adaptive beam steering capability allows CRPAs to effectively eliminate signals from particular directions while preserving signals from others, making them a powerful tool in ensuring the reliability of GNSS-dependent systems. www.federalregister.gov

GPS III SV-07 becomes operational

The U.S. Space Force transferred Satellite Control Authority of the GPS III Space Vehicle 07 (SV-07) to the 2nd Navigation Warfare Squadron, Mission Delta 31, at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado. The satellite became operational and available to global users on Jan. 22, 2025 — expanding the GPS constellation to 31 active vehicles. The transfer is the first instance in which the Satellite Control Authority moved from the acquisition program to the operations squadron within a single Delta, reflecting the new mission delta structure.

The space vehicle was launched on Dec. 16, 2024, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of a Rapid Response Trailblazer mission. The operation involved retrieving an existing GPS III satellite from storage, expediting integration and launch vehicle preparation, and swiftly processing the satellite for launch.

The entire process, from initiation to launch, was completed in approximately three months, significantly shorter than the typical six-month pre-launch processing timeline. This accelerated timeline was achieved through collaboration between multiple Space Force organizations and partner agencies.

The GPS III SV-07 satellite is equipped with M-code, designed to improve anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities, enhancing secure access to military GPS signals. This launch contributes to the ongoing modernization of the GPS constellation following the launch of GPS III SV06 in 2023. Mission Delta 31, activated on Oct. 15, 2024, is responsible for providing, operating, and sustaining high-integrity positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities. It comprises three squadrons and one detachment, including the 2nd Navigation Warfare Squadron, which operates the GPS satellite constellation. www.505ccw.acc.af.mil

GPS jamming detection for military intelligence and security

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) has awarded a $1.9 million contract to Slingshot Aerospace to enhance its GPS jamming and spoofing detection capabilities. This contract, Positioning, Navigation and Timing – Secure Electronic Navigation Threat Intelligence and Location (PNT-SENTINEL), aims to improve the company’s existing technology by incorporating advanced artificial intelligence and predictive analytics. www.slingshot.space

SandboxAQ Joins NATO’s 2025 DIANA Coho

NATO has selected SandboxAQ as one of approximately 70 companies to participate in the 2025 Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) cohort. It will join the cohort’s Sensing & Surveillance group, focusing on the development of its AQNav magnetic navigation system. It is designed to provide a secure navigation alternative that does not rely on GNSS, making it resilient against jamming and spoofing. The system utilizes SandboxAQ’s proprietary Large Quantitative Models (LQMs), quantum sensors, and the Earth’s crustal magnetic field to offer an all-weather, day and night, terrain-agnostic navigation solution for military and commercial applications. www.sandboxaq.com

Iridium looking into using small satellites with PNT capabilities

Iridium Communications is looking into using small satellites to demonstrate advanced Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) capabilities, according to a recent statement by CEO Matt Desch during a small-sat symposium. He said small satellites could also support efforts to develop a VHF radio system for improving pilot communications with Aireon, which already provides aircraft surveillance services using hosted payloads on Iridium’s satellites.

The company operates 66 Iridium Next spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) for L-band connectivity services, plus additional spares, and expects the current constellation to perform well to at least 2035. At about 860 kilograms, Iridium Next satellites are significantly larger than the small satellites typically used for LEO communications, which tend to range from a few dozen to a few hundred kilograms. Spacenews.com

GMV to develop Galileo HAS data generator

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has selected GMV to develop a new version of the High Accuracy Data Generator (HADG) as part of Phase 2 of the Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS) development.

This service offers free real-time precise positioning corrections to all Galileo system users. It seeks to improve the performance level of Service Level 1 (SL1) by deploying a new version of GMV’s magicPPP algorithms for precise corrections calculation and expanding the ground station network. This aims to provide global coverage and enhance the accuracy and availability of the SL1 service. Additionally, it will implement a new Service Level 2 (SL2), a regional service available only in Europe that will transmit atmospheric corrections to reduce the convergence time required to achieve maximum accuracy at the user level. www.gmv.com