ESA and EnSilica partnership for resilient GNSS

In partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), EnSilica will design and develop a key silicon component to enable next-generation resilient multiband GNSS capabilities. These are vital to ensuring the world’s critical infrastructure and services remain robust and secure in the face of evolving global threats.

The ESA, NAVISP Element 2 programme helps to increase the competitiveness of participating European states in the global market for satellite navigation and enables these countries to be well positioned to capitalise on emerging market opportunities across Positioning, Navigation and Timing (“PNT”) technologies and services.

EnSilica is working with support from ESA and UKSA, with the latter organisation awarding the Company £10.38 million in February 2025 for a development project under its Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit programme. www.ensilica.com

NASA lunar experiment establishes first GPS signal on the Moon

NASA and the Italian Space Agency made history on March 3 when the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) became the first technology demonstration to acquire and track Earth-based navigation signals on the Moon’s surface.

The LuGRE payload’s success in lunar orbit and on the surface indicates that signals from the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) can be received and tracked at the Moon. These results mean NASA’s Artemis missions, or other exploration missions, could benefit from these signals to accurately and autonomously determine their position, velocity, and time.

The road to the historic milestone began on March 2 when the Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghostlunar lander touched down on the Moon and delivered LuGRE, one of 10 NASA payloads intended to advance lunar science. Soon after landing, LuGRE payload operators at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, began conducting their first science operation on the lunar surface.

The mission will operate for 14 days providing NASA and the Italian Space Agency the opportunity to collect data in a near-continuous mode, leading to additional GNSS milestones. LuGRE is the first Italian Space Agency developed hardware on the Moon, a milestone for the organization. www.nasa.gov

ESA to develop optical technology for navigation

The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a contract with a consortium of European companies to conduct a definition study (Phase A/B1) and associated critical technology predevelopment to drive the development of optical PNT technology.

This initiative marks the initial phase toward a potential in-orbit demonstrator for optical time synchronization and ranging, which is scheduled for proposal at the ESA Council at the Ministerial Level in November. According to ESA, the primary objective is to validate inter-satellite optical links for future implementation in operational satellite navigation systems.

Optical technology presents promising advancements in navigation accuracy and robustness. While optical links, which use laser beams for data transmission, are already established in satellite communications, their application in navigation requires further technological development and in-orbit validation.

The consortium, led by German OHB System, comprises 33 companies from various ESA member states. Following the initial study, the next phase would involve developing and testing the technology in orbit to validate novel system concepts and explore new architectures. The results will assess the readiness of optical technology and inform decisionmakers about its potential incorporation into future operational systems.

Laser-based technology offers the potential for enhanced system resilience and robustness, potentially reducing dependence on space atomic clocks and ground segments. Optical links also provide natural immunity to jamming and spoofing attempts.

The high data transfer rates of intersatellite optical links could enable new, more robust architectures, supporting a multi-layer system approach to navigation. This aligns with the vision of ESA’s low-Earth orbit (LEO)-PNT program.

Additionally, optical systems can significantly improve the performance of current navigation systems. Experts anticipate achieving millimeter-level spatial accuracy and picosecond-level timing, which could ultimately lead to enhanced services benefiting billions of users worldwide.www.esa.int

AFRL contract to Xona to demo LEO GPS alternative

The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded Xona Space Systems a contract to demonstrate and refine its commercial PNT solutions for Department of Defense (DOD) missions. The agreement, facilitated through the Space Technology Advanced Research — Fast-tracking Innovative Software and Hardware (STAR-FISH) program, increases Xona’s total contracted commitments to more than $20 million.

Under the contract, Xona will evaluate its PULSAR satellite navigation service across commercial user devices in scenarios where GPS/GNSS signals may be denied or challenged. Testing will focus on assessing resistance to jamming and spoofing, reducing multipath interference and implementing secure key distribution protocols. The initiative aims to expedite the development of advanced alternative PNT capabilities in commercial off-theshelf equipment, aligning with DOD requirements for rapid deployment. Xona has collaborated with GPS/GNSS hardware providers QinetiQ, StarNav and Locus Lock to integrate PULSARenabled devices. These partners will participate in performance demonstrations as part of the multi-year effort, which includes leveraging simulation tools and plans to utilize the first PULSAR satellite scheduled for launch in June 2025. www.xonaspace.com

R-EGI proves resilient navigation in GPS-denied flight tests

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) PNT Program Office and Integrated Solutions for Systems (IS4S), in collaboration with AEVEX Aerospace, has announced the successful completion of Alternative Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) flight tests for the ResilientEmbedded GPS/INS (R-EGI) Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA). This achievement marks a monumental step forward in the development of R-EGI, demonstrating its ability to integrate a “plug & play” third-party alternative PNT capability that ensures reliable navigation in GPS-denied environments.

The R-EGI system’s open MOSA design enables seamless integration of government and third-party applications to address emerging navigation threats. Its Mission Capability Navigation (MCNAV) component allows for seamless integration of external alternative PNT solutions under challenging conditions.

During six test flights on a Special Operations Command C-146A Cougar aircraft, R-EGI operated successfully in GPS-denied environments, validating the system’s resilience and capacity for real-time adaptability. mar.com@is4s.com

Astranis advances resilient GPS technology for US Space Force

Astranis has completed a critical demonstration for the U.S. Space Force’s Resilient GPS (R-GPS) program, showcasing its ability to transmit core GPS waveforms using software-defined radio hardware. Conducted ahead of schedule and within budget, the demonstration highlights Astranis’ ability to adapt its flight-heritage high-orbit satellite hardware to meet new resilience requirements for the Space Force.

The test took place at Astranis’ headquarters in San Francisco, California, using a flight-like software-defined radio and positioning, navigation and timing algorithms provided by Xona Space Systems, a partner and subcontractor for the R-GPS program. Astranis transmitted a GPS Course Acquisition (C/A) navigation signal through its resilient GPS payload and demonstrated signal acquisition and recovery of Legacy Navigation messages with an off-theshelf GPS receiver. This validated that its resilient GPS design, Nexus, complies with GPS specifications “out of the box,” ensuring compatibility with existing user equipment without requiring costly upgrades. www.astranis.com

FAA and NAWCAD advance CRPA approval process

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has partnered with the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) to initiate steps toward approving Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas (CPRAs) for use in aircraft. This collaboration addresses GPS/ GNSS jamming and spoofing threats, with the current focus on a Request for Information (RFI) to study antijamming and anti-spoofing technologies. The RFI, published on SAM.gov, aims to identify and evaluate vendors’ antenna technologies for potential integration into civilian aircraft.

CPRAs could significantly mitigate terrestrial-based GPS/GNSS jamming and spoofing, enhancing aviation safety by preserving situational awareness and reducing pilot workload during disruptions. The technology’s effectiveness in neutralizing groundbased threats positions it as a critical tool for maintaining reliable navigation systems. rntfnd.org