The European Space Agency (ESA) has been awarded a €784 million contract to GMV to develop key technologies and demonstrate the benefits of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT).

The contract includes the design and development of satellites and payloads, the procurement of launch services, the provision of a ground-segment-as-a-service, the development of a test user receiver, system operations, as well as experimentation and demonstration of LEO-PNT services with end users.

Five satellites will be developed and placed into orbit. The first, an initial technology demonstrator based on a 12U Cubesat architecture, will be launched within 20 months from kick-off to perform initial testing. Four additional small satellites will be launched to complete the demonstration constellation by 2027.

The satellites will transmit new advanced signals in UHF, L, S and C bands, complementing the signals currently transmitted by navigation satellites such as Galileo and GPS.

An innovative ‘LEO shield’ integrity determination function, capable of assessing in real time the integrity of GNSS signals received onboard the LEO satellites and alert users in case of malfunctioning. will be also demonstrated.

GMV will be responsible for the complete end-to-end space mission and will lead an industrial organisation that includes OHB System AG, Alén Space, Beyond Gravity and Indra as core partners.

The team also includes 14 end-user representatives and key stakeholders from different parts of the LEO-PNT value chain and with presence in key potential LEO-PNT markets such as road, rail, maritime, navigation at high latitudes and in inland waterways, indoor positioning, fishing, precise timing, IoT/asset-tracking, critical infrastructures, location-based services and 5G/6G communications.