In a recent demonstration, a StarNav receiver yielded 20 cm positioning precision from a cold start using simulated Xona PULSAR signals. StarNav’s receiver tracked up to 13 signals from Xona PULSAR satellites, StarNav CEO Joshua Morales said. The signals were simulated by a Safran simulator. Morales showcased the results at ION GNSS+ in Denver earlier this month.
PULSAR is a next-generation position, navigation and timing (PNT) service provided by a constellation of small low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites that are 20 times closer to Earth than existing GPS. They’re also stronger and more resilient to interference.
“With GPS, there’s been an uptick in jamming and spoofing,” Morales said. “PULSAR exists at a different frequency band, so it’s still available when GPS isn’t.” The signals support centimeter level positioning, Morales said, and have various security measures built into them to mitigate interference.
When Morales first launched StarNav, the ideal was to manufacture multi-frequency receivers to offer a more robust PNT solution. Morales sees value in adding the PULSAR signals to the receiver box, and opted to partner with Xona early on.
