Pulsar
A satellite navigation service broadcast from small satellites in low Earth orbit, designed to give centimeter-level positions, resist jamming and spoofing, and work alongside GPS on existing receivers.
Why it matters
GPS signals are faint by the time they reach the ground, so they are easy to jam or fake, a growing problem for aircraft, ships, farms and power grids. A second, independent signal from a much lower orbit makes positioning harder to disrupt and more precise.
How the technology works
Pulsar satellites orbit far closer to Earth than GPS and broadcast in L-band near GPS frequencies, so many receivers can use them after a software update. The demo satellite Pulsar-0 launched in June 2025; Xona reports a best native accuracy of 1.5 cm after a year of tests.
Full service needs more than 250 satellites. The first six were set to launch in October 2026.
Sources
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · How we source facts · Suggest a correction