Xona Space Systems, a startup founded by Stanford aerospace engineering alumni, is about to begin testing its commercial alternative to GPS. Six satellites are scheduled to launch this month on a SpaceX rocket, according to TechCrunch. The company aims to provide navigation and timing services that compete with free government signals, targeting applications such as autonomous vehicles and farming robots.
The initial launch includes four satellites similar to a prototype that validated the technology and two built by Xona at its Burlingame headquarters. These will form the foundation of a planned 258-satellite constellation called Pulsar. Xona says Pulsar will offer centimeter-level precision, stronger signals that work indoors, and greater resistance to jamming and spoofing compared with GPS. The company also developed a way for existing GPS receivers to pick up its signals with a software modification.
Once the satellites are in orbit and passing over mid-latitudes about eight times a day, Xona can begin beta-testing with customers. CEO Brian Manning said the market is not the service but the hardware, with billions of devices sold annually. The company has raised over $300 million, including $20 million from the U.S. Space Force, and hopes to offer full coverage in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and South Korea by 2028.