Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
![ABZero aircraft used to validate TOPASE PNT concepts; Image courtesy ABZero[94]](https://insidegnss.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ABZero-aircraft-used-to-validate-TOPASE-PNT-concepts-Image-courtesy-ABZero94.jpg)
Thales Alenia Space France, working with UPT, ABZero and DroneVolt under the European Space Agency (ESA) NAVISP program, has completed the TOPASE (‘Trustworthy PNT for Unmanned Systems’) project, developing and validating positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) architectures for autonomous and safety-critical unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
By Peter Gutierrez
Humphreys’ UT Radionavigation Lab worked with Stanford to identify satellites.
By Dana A. Goward
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology convened a wide-ranging examination of U.S. positioning, navigation and timing capabilities on June 4, drawing five witnesses across the GPS, broadcast, terrestrial and public-interest sectors to a hearing titled “Where Are We? Examining Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Capabilities in the United States.”
By Inside GNSS
This major shift in architectural framework would spatialize core SBAS components within a distributed network of LEO satellites.
By Inside GNSS
Safran Federal Systems announced on June 1 the delivery of its 50,000th SecureSync time synchronization system, marking nearly two decades of fielded precision timing across civil and defense networks.
By Inside GNSS
VectorNav Technologies announced June 2 expanded support for Low Earth Orbit satellite signals as an aiding source for its inertial navigation systems, with the capability now available as a development kit centered on the VN-210E GNSS-Aided INS and broader support available across the Tactical Series upon request.
By Inside GNSS
Locata CEO Nunzio Gambale explains why fielding complementary PNT solutions is about much more than just backing up GPS, and why PNT resilience has become an ecosystem problem.
By Inside GNSS
Oscilloquartz brings telecom-scale timing expertise to defense networks.
By Inside GNSS
Building assured PNT for the fight we are actually in.
By Inside GNSS
As small autonomous aircraft move into more demanding operating environments, the PNT challenge is shifting from nominal accuracy to system coherence. Hyfix argues that tighter integration across positioning, timing, estimation, and control can reduce hidden error, improve integrity, and make autonomy stacks more resilient under degraded conditions.
By Inside GNSS
As jamming, spoofing and GNSS denial become operational realities, VIAVI’s transcoder is emerging as a practical bridge between legacy vehicle systems and the next generation of assured positioning, navigation and timing.
By Inside GNSS
Calian has announced two new pole mount controlled reception pattern antennas — the CR8894PXF+ and CR8854PXF+ — expanding its CRPA line with installation options suited to communications towers, vessels, monitoring stations, and critical infrastructure.
By Inside GNSS
VIAVI Solutions has introduced the µPNT GDO-1000, a GNSS-disciplined oscillator built in the M.2 B-key form factor measuring 22mm by 42mm and weighing under four grams — designed for defense, airborne, and unmanned platforms where traditional timing modules are too large or power-hungry to integrate.
By Inside GNSS
Colorado-based Xairos Systems has completed two-kilometer free-space range testing with its Ares Quantum Optical Terminal, establishing simultaneous quantum and optical links from a single integrated unit.
By Inside GNSS
TRX Systems will present new enhancements to its Dismounted Assured PNT System GEN II at the Joint Navigation Conference, held June 1–4 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.
By Inside GNSS
The House Armed Services Committee’s chairman’s mark of the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, released May 26, includes a provision that would establish a designated Pentagon official to oversee the Defense Department’s positioning, navigation and timing enterprise — including alternative PNT programs alongside the existing GPS architecture.
By Inside GNSS
He spoke with Inside GNSS about what Xona’s Pulsar means for the future of resilient PNT.
By Inside GNSS
In 2017, the main message at the Munich Satellite Summit was clear: GNSS needs a backup. Nearly 10 years later, the message hasn’t changed; we may have more tools available but very little progress has been made—while the threat to GNSS only continues to grow.
By Dana A. Goward
GNSS interference is no longer a distant concern or a technical edge case. As jamming, spoofing and autonomy requirements expose the limits of today’s PNT architectures, LEO is emerging as one of the most important alternatives to understand.
By Zak M. Kassas
Thales Alenia Space France, working with UPT, ABZero and DroneVolt under the European Space Agency (ESA) NAVISP program, has completed the TOPASE (‘Trustworthy PNT for Unmanned Systems’) project, developing and validating positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) architectures for autonomous and safety-critical unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
By Peter Gutierrez
VectorNav Technologies announced June 2 expanded support for Low Earth Orbit satellite signals as an aiding source for its inertial navigation systems, with the capability now available as a development kit centered on the VN-210E GNSS-Aided INS and broader support available across the Tactical Series upon request.
By Inside GNSS
As small autonomous aircraft move into more demanding operating environments, the PNT challenge is shifting from nominal accuracy to system coherence. Hyfix argues that tighter integration across positioning, timing, estimation, and control can reduce hidden error, improve integrity, and make autonomy stacks more resilient under degraded conditions.
By Inside GNSS
As jamming, spoofing and GNSS denial become operational realities, VIAVI’s transcoder is emerging as a practical bridge between legacy vehicle systems and the next generation of assured positioning, navigation and timing.
By Inside GNSS
Calian has announced two new pole mount controlled reception pattern antennas — the CR8894PXF+ and CR8854PXF+ — expanding its CRPA line with installation options suited to communications towers, vessels, monitoring stations, and critical infrastructure.
By Inside GNSS
VIAVI Solutions has introduced the µPNT GDO-1000, a GNSS-disciplined oscillator built in the M.2 B-key form factor measuring 22mm by 42mm and weighing under four grams — designed for defense, airborne, and unmanned platforms where traditional timing modules are too large or power-hungry to integrate.
By Inside GNSS
Colorado-based Xairos Systems has completed two-kilometer free-space range testing with its Ares Quantum Optical Terminal, establishing simultaneous quantum and optical links from a single integrated unit.
By Inside GNSS
TRX Systems will present new enhancements to its Dismounted Assured PNT System GEN II at the Joint Navigation Conference, held June 1–4 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.
By Inside GNSS
Colorado Springs-based Apogee has been awarded a five-year, $103.6 million task order to provide positioning, navigation, and timing contractor support services for the Department of Defense, supporting modernization, acquisition, and sustainment planning across the global PNT enterprise.
By Inside GNSS
FocalPoint Positioning has unveiled Precise+, a software-defined receiver technology that delivers sub-metre GNSS accuracy in environments where conventional carrier phase tracking typically fails — without the use of inertial sensors, dead reckoning, or sensor fusion.
By Inside GNSS
Taoglas has introduced the GVLB208 Series, a dual-band L1/L5 stacked patch antenna in a 20 x 20 x 8 mm footprint — one of the smallest packages available for concurrent L1/L5 operation. The series is the first in a new family of ultra-compact GNSS antennas from the company.
By Inside GNSS
Septentrio has extended its mosaic-G5 module family with the P8, a multi-frequency GNSS receiver designed for mission-critical applications in contested electromagnetic environments.
By Inside GNSS
NASA Earthdata and principal investigator Stephen Leroy of JANUS Research Group have released a new set of Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation data products reformatted to a common Climate and Forecast convention-compliant format, improving cross-program usability for atmospheric researchers and GNSS data users.
By Inside GNSS
TrustPoint has been awarded a $4 million Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) contract to demonstrate a GPS-independent positioning, navigation, and timing system.
By Inside GNSS
Septentrio has launched the mosaic-G5 P6, a multi-frequency precise positioning module extending the company’s mosaic receiver line for commercial UAV, robotics, and industrial automation integrators.
By Inside GNSS
Trimble has introduced a smart antenna enclosure option for its PX-1 RTX positioning solution, targeting commercial drone delivery integrators seeking to reduce development timelines.
By Inside GNSS
Thales has introduced the TopStar Smart Receiver, a three-function positioning, navigation, and timing unit designed for land vehicles, drones, and munitions operating under active electronic warfare conditions.
By Inside GNSS
The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a £6 million contract to Team Elaris, a QinetiQ-led consortium, to develop a deployable concept for enhanced Long-Range Navigation (eLoran) as a GPS-independent positioning, navigation, and timing alternative for military operations in contested environments.
By Inside GNSS
Mayflower Communications Company, Inc. has introduced the NavGuard® 750 Integrated M-Code Anti-Jam System (IMAS), a fully integrated Assured Position, Navigation and Timing (APNT) solution designed for severely size, weight, and power (SWaP)-constrained military platforms.
By Inside GNSS
Speaking at the recent Munich Satellite Navigation Summit, Mark Brammer, Positioning Program Lead for the UK’s National PNT Office, outlined the United Kingdom’s bold vision for the future of positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), a system built not on a single pillar, but on international cooperation, multi-technology fusion, and a clear-eyed view of GNSS resilience.
By Peter Gutierrez
At the 2025 Munich Satellite Navigation Summit, Ramsey Faragher, Director and CEO of the UK Royal Institute of Navigation, delivered a sobering assessment of satellite navigation vulnerabilities based on findings of the ‘Operational Performance of Satellite Navigation Systems’ (OPS) report.
By Peter Gutierrez
Airbus is leading the development of the next generation of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), Europe’s satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS). EGNOS version three (V3) will provide a completely new DFMC service – dual frequency, multi-constellation – augmenting both GPS and Galileo signals.
By Peter Gutierrez
The impact Ignacio Fernández Hernández, Galileo Authentication and High Accuracy Manager for the European Commission, has had on the EGNOS and Galileo programs, as he does his part to advance GNSS.
By Peter Gutierrez
The Institute of Navigation recognizes Dr. John Raquet with prestigious Johannes Kepler Award at the ION GNSS+ 2024 Conference.
By Inside GNSS
Steve Woolven’s early experience running his family’s resort coupled with his ambitious academic pursuits helped lay the groundwork for a successful career in the PNT industry and his current role as President of Trimble Applanix.
By Peter Gutierrez
Topcon Positioning Systems has announced that Ray O’Connor, president and chief executive officer, will retire in September 2025 after over three decades of exceptional leadership. O’Connor will transition to the role of Chairman of the Topcon Positioning Systems Board of Directors effective September 1, 2024, providing guidance and support to the executive leadership team during this important year of transition.
By Inside GNSS
Silicon Sensing is to open its first US office, with a dedicated in-country team lead by the new head of sales – Americas, Kevin Swain. This new facility will help ensure the company efficiently supports the growing demand for their rugged, high performance inertial products across North and South America.
By Inside GNSS
At Xponential 2024 in San Diego, Inside GNSS sat down with Jamie Marraccini, CEO of Inertial Labs, to discuss the company’s advanced solutions for GNSS vulnerability and their role in enhancing navigation for UAS operations in GNSS-denied environments.
By Inside GNSS
Speaking to Inside GNSS at the recent InterGEO conference in Berlin, Olivier Casabianca, Vice President of Trimble Positioning Services, said “If you look at the way we work today, GNSS is still the key component, serving all of what we would consider the central geospatial industries, meaning construction, agriculture, transportation, etcetera. People talk about making a digital version of the world, and we understand that starts with knowing where you are, before, during and after, whatever job you’re doing. Precise positioning is fundamental.”
By Peter Gutierrez
Industry veteran Mariam Sorond has taken over as the CEO of NextNav.
By Inside GNSS
Dr Mark Marshall takes on role as emerging inertial sensing technologies open new market opportunities.
Dr Mark Marshall has been appointed as Chief Engineer of Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd. Dr Marshall joined Silicon Sensing in 2017 as the lead engineer on numerous inertial programmes. Immediately prior to commencing as Chief Engineer he was the company’s Consultant Engineer and Electronics Discipline Manager. In this role he was responsible for the electronics and mechanical design of the company’s latest generation, tactical grade inertial measurement unit (IMU) – the DMU41.
By Inside GNSS
Cheryl Gramling knew early on what she wanted to do in life. Today, she is assistant chief for technology, mission engineering and systems analysis division, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and she’s playing a key role in getting us back to the Moon.
By Peter Gutierrez
Helix is pleased to announce the appointment of Tom Beese as Chairman of its Board of Directors.
By Inside GNSS
Rx Networks announced today that Michael Longinotti, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, will retire from the company at the end of 2022, then continue to serve as a board member. John Carley, VP of Sales and Marketing, has been appointed by the Board of Directors to succeed Longinotti as Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2023.
By Inside GNSS
The Institute of Navigation’s (ION) Satellite Division presented Dr. Boris Pervan with its Johannes Kepler Award September 23, 2022 during the ION GNSS+ Conference held September 19-23, at the Hyatt Regency Denver At Colorado Convention Center.
By Inside GNSS
The Institute of Navigation (ION) announced the recipients of the 2022 Fellow membership during the ION International Technical Meeting (ITM) and Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications (PTTI) meeting held January 25- 27, 2022 at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach in Long Beach, California.
By Inside GNSS
FocalPoint Positioning, founded in 2015, is, as they say, very happening. Its Supercorrelation is a chipset-level software product for mobiles, wearables and vehicles that is changing the positioning game in urban environments. Interesting and energetic, FocalPoint founder Ramsey Faragher came out of the defense industry and has a risen rapidly in the GNSS firmament.
By Peter Gutierrez
As CEO Jean-Yves Courtois puts it, Orolia is focused on solving the hard problems. To do that, the France-based company, a global provider of resilient positioning, navigation and timing (RPNT) solutions, has become a technology integrator.
By Inside GNSS
Thales Alenia Space France, working with UPT, ABZero and DroneVolt under the European Space Agency (ESA) NAVISP program, has completed the TOPASE (‘Trustworthy PNT for Unmanned Systems’) project, developing and validating positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) architectures for autonomous and safety-critical unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
By Peter Gutierrez
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology convened a wide-ranging examination of U.S. positioning, navigation and timing capabilities on June 4, drawing five witnesses across the GPS, broadcast, terrestrial and public-interest sectors to a hearing titled “Where Are We? Examining Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Capabilities in the United States.”
By Inside GNSS
Safran Federal Systems announced on June 1 the delivery of its 50,000th SecureSync time synchronization system, marking nearly two decades of fielded precision timing across civil and defense networks.
By Inside GNSS
VectorNav Technologies announced June 2 expanded support for Low Earth Orbit satellite signals as an aiding source for its inertial navigation systems, with the capability now available as a development kit centered on the VN-210E GNSS-Aided INS and broader support available across the Tactical Series upon request.
By Inside GNSS
Oscilloquartz brings telecom-scale timing expertise to defense networks.
By Inside GNSS
Building assured PNT for the fight we are actually in.
By Inside GNSS
As small autonomous aircraft move into more demanding operating environments, the PNT challenge is shifting from nominal accuracy to system coherence. Hyfix argues that tighter integration across positioning, timing, estimation, and control can reduce hidden error, improve integrity, and make autonomy stacks more resilient under degraded conditions.
By Inside GNSS
As jamming, spoofing and GNSS denial become operational realities, VIAVI’s transcoder is emerging as a practical bridge between legacy vehicle systems and the next generation of assured positioning, navigation and timing.
By Inside GNSS
Calian has announced two new pole mount controlled reception pattern antennas — the CR8894PXF+ and CR8854PXF+ — expanding its CRPA line with installation options suited to communications towers, vessels, monitoring stations, and critical infrastructure.
By Inside GNSS
VIAVI Solutions has introduced the µPNT GDO-1000, a GNSS-disciplined oscillator built in the M.2 B-key form factor measuring 22mm by 42mm and weighing under four grams — designed for defense, airborne, and unmanned platforms where traditional timing modules are too large or power-hungry to integrate.
By Inside GNSS
Colorado-based Xairos Systems has completed two-kilometer free-space range testing with its Ares Quantum Optical Terminal, establishing simultaneous quantum and optical links from a single integrated unit.
By Inside GNSS
TRX Systems will present new enhancements to its Dismounted Assured PNT System GEN II at the Joint Navigation Conference, held June 1–4 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.
By Inside GNSS
The House Armed Services Committee’s chairman’s mark of the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, released May 26, includes a provision that would establish a designated Pentagon official to oversee the Defense Department’s positioning, navigation and timing enterprise — including alternative PNT programs alongside the existing GPS architecture.
By Inside GNSS
He spoke with Inside GNSS about what Xona’s Pulsar means for the future of resilient PNT.
By Inside GNSS
Colorado Springs-based Apogee has been awarded a five-year, $103.6 million task order to provide positioning, navigation, and timing contractor support services for the Department of Defense, supporting modernization, acquisition, and sustainment planning across the global PNT enterprise.
By Inside GNSS
FocalPoint Positioning has unveiled Precise+, a software-defined receiver technology that delivers sub-metre GNSS accuracy in environments where conventional carrier phase tracking typically fails — without the use of inertial sensors, dead reckoning, or sensor fusion.
By Inside GNSS
Taoglas has introduced the GVLB208 Series, a dual-band L1/L5 stacked patch antenna in a 20 x 20 x 8 mm footprint — one of the smallest packages available for concurrent L1/L5 operation. The series is the first in a new family of ultra-compact GNSS antennas from the company.
By Inside GNSS
Septentrio has extended its mosaic-G5 module family with the P8, a multi-frequency GNSS receiver designed for mission-critical applications in contested electromagnetic environments.
By Inside GNSS
NASA Earthdata and principal investigator Stephen Leroy of JANUS Research Group have released a new set of Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation data products reformatted to a common Climate and Forecast convention-compliant format, improving cross-program usability for atmospheric researchers and GNSS data users.
By Inside GNSS
This major shift in architectural framework would spatialize core SBAS components within a distributed network of LEO satellites.
By Inside GNSS
In 2017, the main message at the Munich Satellite Summit was clear: GNSS needs a backup. Nearly 10 years later, the message hasn’t changed; we may have more tools available but very little progress has been made—while the threat to GNSS only continues to grow.
By Dana A. Goward
GNSS interference is no longer a distant concern or a technical edge case. As jamming, spoofing and autonomy requirements expose the limits of today’s PNT architectures, LEO is emerging as one of the most important alternatives to understand.
By Zak M. Kassas
