A soldier in camouflage uses a tablet to control drones in a foggy forest, demonstrating modern military equipment. (Photo: Xona Space Systems)

The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded Xona Space Systems a contract to demonstrate and refine its commercial positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions for Department of Defense (DOD) missions. The agreement, facilitated through the Space Technology Advanced Research — Fast-tracking Innovative Software and Hardware (STAR-FISH) program, increases Xona’s total contracted commitments to more than $20 million.

Under the contract, Xona will evaluate its PULSAR satellite navigation service across commercial user devices in scenarios where GPS/GNSS signals may be denied or challenged. Testing will focus on assessing resistance to jamming and spoofing, reducing multipath interference and implementing secure key distribution protocols. The initiative aims to expedite the development of advanced alternative PNT capabilities in commercial off-the-shelf equipment, aligning with DOD requirements for rapid deployment.

Xona has collaborated with GPS/GNSS hardware providers QinetiQ, StarNav and Locus Lock to integrate PULSAR-enabled devices. These partners will participate in performance demonstrations as part of the multi-year effort, which includes leveraging Xona’s simulation tools and plans to utilize the first PULSAR satellite scheduled for launch in June 2025.