- Xona Space Systems, founded in 2019 by five Stanford-trained engineers, is building commercial satellite positioning signals that compete with the government-run GPS. The company plans to launch six satellites on a SpaceX rocket this month.
- Four of the six use a design similar to the prototypes that tested the technology last year. The remaining two were built by the company at its California headquarters. These two will form the basis of Pulsar, an operational satellite network planned with 258 units.
- The company claims Pulsar provides centimeter-level positioning, finer than GPS's meter-level accuracy, and that its signals reach indoors and in dense cities. The CEO also believes it can prevent jamming and spoofing, but the source contains no independent verification of these claims.
- The pilot test can begin with real customers once the satellites reach orbit and pass over mid-latitude skies about eight times a day. The CEO of timing equipment company TimeBeat said the pilot could help check and correct time errors in devices worldwide.
The accuracy figures are values the company claims, not ones confirmed by actual measurement, and that is the first thing that stands out. The article also doesn't say which devices the claim that existing receivers need only a simple software update actually covers, so if you work with positioning equipment, you might want to check your own device model first.