Xona Space Systems

Space · Satellite Navigation · Defense Tech

Milestone

Xona wins first FCC nod for private GPS-alternative satellite network

Regulators just let a startup broadcast a navigation signal strong enough to jam-proof planes, ships and phones next to GPS itself.

• The FCC granted Xona conditional approval to broadcast its Pulsar navigation signals from a planned 258-satellite LEO constellation, alongside GPS.
• Xona builds Pulsar, a satellite navigation system meant to complement GPS with signals up to 100 times stronger, cryptographic anti-spoofing protection, and centimeter-level accuracy.
• The FCC's initial authorization covers only 16 satellites; Xona must pass an updated orbital-debris review before launching the rest, with half the constellation required in orbit by July 2032 and all of it by July 2035.
• Pulsar transmits in L-band spectrum adjacent to GPS L1 and L5 frequencies, letting many existing GNSS receivers pick up the signal via software or firmware updates rather than new hardware.
• The approval builds on Xona's Pulsar-0 demo satellite, launched in mid-2025 on SpaceX's Transporter-14 mission, which completed more than 350 live transmission passes across four continents without interfering with GPS.
• Xona plans to launch its first six production Pulsar satellites in October while scaling manufacturing at its Burlingame, California facility.
• The milestone follows a $170 million Series C led by Mohari Ventures Natural Capital in March 2026, after a $150 million Series B led by Craft Ventures in July 2025.
• GPS underpins aviation, finance and telecom but is vulnerable to jamming and spoofing; this is the first time a private company has been cleared to broadcast a rival high-power signal beside it, a regulatory precedent other LEO-PNT startups will now point to.