Tokyo-based satellite company ArkEdge Space Inc. has signed letters of intent with three international organizations to develop a PNT satellite network in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
The agreements with TrustPoint Inc., the Royal Institute of Navigation in the United Kingdom and FrontierSI aim to strengthen satellite-based PNT capabilities for civil, commercial and security applications.
The collaboration represents an early phase in ArkEdge Space’s effort to build international partnerships for PNT infrastructure. The company, which designs and operates small satellite constellations, said the project will focus on improving resilience of positioning and timing systems that support critical infrastructure.
The partners plan to examine policy frameworks and national PNT strategies as the project moves into a demonstration phase. ArkEdge Space said it will expand its network of international partners to support the development of space-based positioning systems.
“By working together, this collaboration represents an important step as we accelerate the development of resilient, trusted PNT capabilities that support critical infrastructure and informed decision-making worldwide,” ArkEdge Space CEO Takayoshi Fukuyo said.
PNT services are integral to industries worldwide, from logistics and telecommunications to critical infrastructure. The rise of LEO satellites is set to revolutionize this space, overcoming limitations of traditional GNSS, such as vulnerability to interference and limited urban coverage, according to FrontierSI.
Key insights from the report, which is the first in a series of annual reports, include:
Industry impacts: How LEO PNT addresses GNSS vulnerabilities, offering more robust and accurate navigation solutions.
Government and regulatory challenges: The rise of commercial PNT players necessitates collaboration to address interoperability, spectrum management and governance issues.
Business innovation opportunities: Critical sectors such as logistics and autonomous systems stand to benefit from assured and precise PNT services.
Investment potential: The nascent stage of the LEO PNT market presents opportunities for investors to identify game-changing technologies and key players.
The report is recommended for professionals and organizations deeply engaged in satellite navigation, including:
Engineers, designers and project managers in the space and defense industries
Autonomous systems manufacturers
Policymakers and regulatory bodies responsible for satellite navigation and spectrum management
Commercial stakeholders in telecommunications, transport and logistics
Academics, researchers and analysts with an interest in satellite navigation technologies
Investors analyzing the growth potential of LEO PNT solutions
Providers of critical infrastructure reliant on precise timing synchronization
The LEO PNT State of the Market Report aims to provide stakeholders with the necessary insights to navigate this transformative period for PNT.
FrontierSI, a not-for-profit research organization specializing in positioning, geodesy, spatial infrastructures and rapid spatial analytics, has released a review of Australia’s resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) policy to fortify the country’s PNT infrastructure. The review, expanded upon in a new white paper and technical report, was created in response to the increasing number of cyber threats.
“PNT is an essential utility we presently have no control over,” said Joshua Critchley-Marrows, FrontierSI’s space PNT lead. “Australia’s access to PNT is intrinsically linked to satellite-delivered services from foreign-owned and operated assets, such as the USA’s Global Positioning System (GPS). Investing in our infrastructure is crucial to ensure continuous access to this critical service that underpins nearly all aspects of our daily lives.”
According to FronteirSI, the reliance on foreign satellite systems exposes Australia to significant vulnerabilities, such as recent technological failures and cyber-attacks. These incidents emphasize the need for a self-reliant and robust PNT ecosystem capable of withstanding both unintentional and malicious disruptions.
FrontierSI aims to bolster PNT resilience by enhancing the systems’ robustness against disruptions and advocating for the development of assured, robust, augmented and alternative PNT solutions. The recommendations outlined in the white paper and technical report call for proactive measures, including legislative updates and supply chain risk assessments, to protect Australia’s critical infrastructure and economic vitality.
FrontierSI has signed a collaborative agreement with Geoscience Australia, Curtin University and the University of Newcastle to enhance Ginan with features specifically aimed at supporting low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites as an important component of Geoscience Australia’s Positioning Australia program.
Ginan is Geoscience Australia’s GNSS analysis center software. It delivers a real-time positioning correction service through open-source software and additional positioning products to enable precise point positioning for Australian industry and users.
The design, development and deployment of LEO satellites has grown significantly over the last decade. The agreement with FrontierSI complements ongoing Ginan precise orbit determination (POD) development activities, focusing on the implementation of LEO satellite modeling and the orbit integrator/propagator capabilities needed to enable LEO GNSS data to be processed and high-precision LEO satellite trajectories estimated and predicted.
Such a capability will enable:
better monitoring of LEO satellites for station keeping, collision avoidance and end-of-life purposes
improved ionosphere and troposphere monitoring and modeling through the analysis of GNSS signal occultation, to provide data for weather prediction and precise positioning purposes.
Trials in Australia are proving 5G LPP can support new positioning services. (Photo: Dan Woodrow, FrontierSI)
Several companies are joining to demonstrate 5G LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) capabilities in field trials. The trials are part of the 5G Positioning Testbed funded under the Australian 5G Innovation Initiative.
Technology partners include GMV, FrontierSI, Ericsson and Optus, who are joining with industry demonstration partners Kondinin Group, Platfarm (a precision agriculture company) and Position Partners.
The results achieved by the project are considered a key step forward for the use of 5G technology for high-accuracy positioning. The testbed demonstrated each of the high accuracy GNSS-based LPP working modes, including Observation Space Representation (OSR), State Space Representation (SSR), and SSR with atmospheric corrections, integrated directly with user equipment supplied by demonstration partners to examine a variety of real-world applications. The field trials demonstrated that the solution can reach centimeter-level accuracy with fast convergence times using a commercial off-the-shelf receiver and antenna hardware.
GNSS precise positioning is the most common technology for calculating an absolute positioning solution at the user level. For uses requiring centimeter-level accuracy, it is often required to provide GNSS corrections to reduce errors.
Distribution of GNSS corrections is based on either the broadcast of precise point positioning (PPP) corrections through GEO satellites over the L-band, or the point-to-point transmission of real-time kinematic (RTK) corrections using NTRIP through the internet.
Both options have their drawbacks: GEO satellite broadcast requires complex ground infrastructure and can be expensive to maintain, while NTRIP distribution has poor scalability due to the point-to-point connections required for every user.
3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) — the standards organization focusing on 5G LPP — recently introduced the support of OSR corrections for RTK users in Release 15, and the support of SSR plus atmospheric corrections for PPP/PPP-RTK users in Release 16.
Support for these two approaches to high-accuracy GNSS positioning have increased interest in 5G LPP as a potential alternative to existing correction services. Service providers and positioning consumers can now consider the use of 5G LPP as a supporting technology in the provision of new positioning services directly through mobile networks.
The 5G Positioning Testbed has achieved end-to-end demonstrations of high-accuracy positioning solutions using GMV’s Corrections Service and Positioning Engine, delivered through the Optus 5G network using Ericsson network technology, to user equipment designed and operated by FrontierSI.
Field trials conducted in Australia involved real-world scenarios across three areas: precision agriculture, drone operation and augmented reality.
