Astranis advances resilient GPS technology for US Space Force
Summary
Conducted ahead of schedule and within budget, the demonstration highlights Astranis’ ability to adapt its flight-heritage high-orbit satellite hardware to meet new resilience requirements for the Space Force. The test took place at Astranis’ headquarters in San Francisco, California, using a flight-like software-defined radio and positioning, navigation and timing algorithms provided by Xona Space Systems, a partner and subcontractor for the R-GPS program. Astranis was selected in September 2024 as one of four contractors to design next-generation resilient GPS satellites under the Space Force’s initiative. The R-GPS program aims to augment the existing GPS constellation with smaller, cost-effective satellites to enhance resilience against threats such as jamming or spoofing. The company’s approach leverages its MicroGEO satellite design and software-defined radio technology to deliver resilient capabilities while maintaining compatibility with legacy equipment.