LEO Satellites Enhance Navigation Capabilities Where GPS Fails

LEO internet satellites bolster navigation where GPS is weak. Researchers have shown that radio signals from commercial low Earth orbit internet constellations such as Starlink and OneWeb can provide an alternative source of navigation and positioning, especially in regions where GNSS performance is degraded.

The study, led by Zak Kassas, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at The Ohio State University, indicates that passively received LEO signals can be turned into useful navigation beacons without modifying the satellites or accessing user data.

As intentional and unintentional interference with GPS grows worldwide, this research highlights the potential of LEO satellites to supplement or temporarily replace GNSS in difficult environments. The team focused on the Arctic, testing their approach on a ship sailing off the west coast of Greenland.

They were able to cut position errors from more than a kilometer in the absence of GPS to about 27 meters by exploiting Starlink and OneWeb downlink signals. The approach relies on ground receivers listening to multiple satellites and applying signal-processing techniques to infer the receiver's location.

This Arctic campaign builds on earlier results showing that Starlink signals alone could support positioning across the United States. The researchers emphasized that they received no assistance from SpaceX or Eutelsat and had no access to user traffic, relying solely on publicly available information.

This method of navigation could lower the risk of serious incidents, as deliberate GPS interference has become a regular feature of electronic warfare. Kassas stated that there is currently no robust operational backup when GPS is lost on aircraft or ships, making this research crucial for enhancing navigation capabilities.

The findings suggest a hybrid navigation architecture where GNSS, terrestrial beacons, and LEO communication satellites work together to improve positioning and timing. The study was co-authored by Will Barrett, Sharbel Kozhaya from Ohio State, and David Marsh from The Wilson Center, reflecting the intersection of technical navigation research and policy analysis on critical infrastructure security.