Burlingame, CA - May 25, 2023 - Xona Space Systems is pleased to announce several key updates to the on-orbit position, navigation, and timing (PNT) demonstration satellite mission, Huginn. The satellite was launched one year ago today as the first-ever, commercially funded Low Earth Orbit (LEO) PNT mission. Xona’s mission has progressed through many of its objectives proving the capability of its patented core PULSAR technology. Since the launch of Huginn, the Xona team has: 

 

• Successfully transmitted precision LEO PNT signals from space to ground. 

• Validated Xona’s ability to provide cm-level user positioning using their in-house developed precision satellite hardware and software stack. 

• Demonstrated the on-orbit reprogrammability of Xona’s proprietary digital navigation waveform generator. 

• Demonstrated precision satellite navigation capabilities using low-cost commercial-off-the-shelf components. 

• Validated Xona’s patented distributed clock architecture that is a key enabler to providing precision PNT without large atomic clocks onboard.  

 

These achievements represent a significant and exciting leap forward for space-based PNT and the GNSS community at large. The company is collaborating with its PULSAR ecosystem partners to integrate Xona capability into traditional GNSS user equipment and GNSS simulation tools with as little as a firmware update. Xona is finalizing validation and optimization of its LEO PNT technology as it continues on the path to offer its commercial PULSAR service. 

 

“Our first test satellite has provided invaluable insights and data into the unique capabilities and challenges of building a LEO PNT constellation. The testing has validated much of the technology behind Xona’s system architecture,” said Dr. Tyler Reid, CTO of Xona Space Systems. Dr. Reid adds, “Key findings and lessons learned from the Huginn mission will be directly applied to the production satellite that is in development now to better support modern applications that require precise, secure, and available PNT signals at scale.”  

 

Xona looks forward to sharing more details on the progress and development of PULSAR during the upcoming ION Joint Navigation Conference June 12-15 in San Diego. 

 

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Media Inquiries:

Jaime Jaramillo: jaime@xonaspace.com / Director of Commercial Services

 

About Xona Space Systems, Inc.

Xona Space Systems is developing the first ever independent high-performance satellite navigation and timing system designed to meet the needs of intelligent systems. Delivered via a secure, high-power signal from Xona's low Earth orbit satellites, the patent-pending Pulsar™ service aims to enable the next wave of connected technology. Learn more at www.xonaspace.com or follow Xona Space Systems on Twitter @XonaSpace.

 

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