TrustPoint said it has completed a key ground-to-space time-transfer and tracking demonstration for its Low Earth Orbit Navigation System (LEONS), a milestone the company described as advancing its goal of offering a commercial, GPS-independent positioning, navigation and timing service.
The work was carried out under the SpaceWERX Alternative PNT (AltPNT) Challenge, according to a Jan. 15 announcement. From a compact ground node, TrustPoint successfully transmitted LEONS time-transfer and tracking signals to spacecraft in orbit, validating the ability to provide precise timing and orbit knowledge without relying on GPS or other medium Earth orbit global navigation satellite systems.
Most LEO spacecraft today depend on GPS-derived signals for timing and orbit determination, leaving them vulnerable to interference, jamming or spoofing, including above the atmosphere. TrustPoint said its LEONS architecture is designed to remove that dependency by combining GPS-independent time transfer from dedicated ground nodes with independent orbit tracking for satellites operating in LEO.
Originally developed to support TrustPoint’s own planned C-band LEO PNT constellation, LEONS is intended to operate as a service that can also be used by other satellite operators seeking resilient navigation and timing capabilities. The company said the demonstrated capability is meant to form part of a “GPS-independent PNT layer in orbit,” with the longer-term aim of supporting assured PNT services for users on Earth in contested environments.
The demonstration builds on TrustPoint’s earlier success in the AltPNT Challenge, where it secured two Direct-to-Phase II contracts worth a combined $3.8 million to advance GPS-independent ground control and PNT security technologies. The AltPNT initiative, run by SpaceWERX in partnership with Space Systems Command, seeks alternative PNT sources to augment and complement GPS for U.S. and allied users.
TrustPoint said the LEONS test represents a transition from conceptual development to fieldable capability, aligning with the AltPNT program’s focus on accelerating operational deployment.
Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, TrustPoint is developing a commercial LEO-based GNSS alternative using encrypted C-band signals and a proliferated constellation. The company positions its system as a secure PNT service for autonomy, critical infrastructure and defense applications, and has received multiple government contracts, including SBIR and STTR awards and a U.S. Navy-linked Phase II project with Hexagon NovAtel.
