Xona Pushes LEO GPS Backup With 100x Stronger Signals After Large-Scale Interference
Updated
Updated · Hackaday · Jun 23
Xona Pushes LEO GPS Backup With 100x Stronger Signals After Large-Scale Interference
2 articles · Updated · Hackaday · Jun 23
Summary
A recent large-scale effort to jam or spoof GPS signals has intensified concern over a long-known weakness in satellite navigation and timing.
20,000 km of distance leaves standard GPS/GNSS signals extremely weak at Earth’s surface, making them vulnerable to interference despite years of mitigation work.
Xona says its Pulsar-0 low-Earth-orbit satellite can supplement GNSS with positioning and timing signals about 100 times stronger than conventional GPS, improving resistance to jamming.
Pulsar-0 also receives GPS signals to cross-check agreement between the two systems, pointing to a layered navigation model rather than a full replacement.
The push for LEO backups reflects broader risks from GPS spoofing and jamming, which can disrupt everything from critical timing services to GPS-guided drones.