Furuno receives live signals from Xona’s Pulsar LEO PNT satellite in Japan

Furuno says it became the first company in Japan to receive live signals from Xona Space Systems’ Pulsar-0 satellite, with tests in Nishinomiya in June and at a Fukushima spoofing field test in July. The results point to a possible GNSS backup for critical infrastructure that needs resilient positioning and timing.

Why it matters: - Furuno’s tests show a potential path to positioning and timing services that can keep working when GNSS is jammed, spoofed or disrupted. - Critical infrastructure such as mobile networks, broadcasting, financial systems, power grids and public safety radio depends on precise GNSS-based timing. - The evaluation suggests LEO PNT could become a complementary or alternative source for operations that need higher resilience.

What happened: - Furuno said it successfully received live signals in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, in June 2026 from Pulsar-0, the first satellite in Xona Space Systems’ next-generation LEO satellite-based positioning service. - Furuno said the June reception was the first live Pulsar satellite signal reception in Japan. - In July 2026, Furuno confirmed at a GNSS spoofing test at the Fukushima Robot Test Field that live Pulsar signals remained receivable with the same antenna used for GNSS. - The Pulsar signals stayed stable even when spoofing signals disrupted traditional GNSS.

The details: - Furuno used a commercially available GNSS antenna and an evaluation unit based on a commercial GNSS receiver, with only limited firmware modifications. - The spoofing signals in the July test targeted GNSS and did not specifically target the Pulsar signal. - Pulsar signals are transmitted in the L-band near GNSS frequencies. - Furuno said that let the company use existing GNSS antenna and hardware technologies without building large dedicated equipment. - The tests showed Furuno can apply its existing technology assets quickly to Pulsar signal reception. - The results also suggest Pulsar could support secure positioning and time synchronization while remaining compatible with GNSS. - Furuno’s background work on GNSS resilience already includes dual-frequency reception, signal authentication and holdover at the receiver level. - In February 2026, Furuno and Xona signed a memorandum of understanding to develop LEO PNT solutions. - Furuno said the reception evaluation moves the collaboration from concept toward proof of feasibility. - The GNSS spoofing test was part of the 7th Spoofing Field Test organized by the Jamming/Spoofing Study Group of the Institute of Positioning, Navigation and Timing of Japan. - The test received support from LocationMind Inc., the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, AmTechs Corporation, SoftBank Corp., Osaka Metropolitan University and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology. - AmTechs provided the GSS7000 and Standpoint from Spirent Communications plc, now Keysight Technologies, under academic terms. - The graph’s vertical axis shows C/N0, which indicates signal strength. - Furuno said GNSS signals clustered around 40 dB-Hz because the receiver tracked the spoofing signals, making all satellite signals appear at a similar strength.

Between the lines: - The tests are a practical validation, not a full commercial rollout, but they show LEO PNT may work with current GNSS hardware. - That matters because compatibility lowers the barrier to adoption for operators that cannot easily replace existing timing and navigation equipment. - The results also frame resilience as a system-level issue, not just a receiver-level one.

What’s next: - Additional Pulsar satellites are set to launch this year. - Furuno said it will keep advancing LEO PNT for resilient positioning and time synchronization. - The company aims to help critical infrastructure reduce overreliance on GNSS while improving security and continuity. - Xona says Pulsar is designed to provide centimeter-level certainty, built-in protection against jamming and spoofing, and more power-efficient service for GPS-dependent devices.

The bottom line: - Furuno’s Japan tests are an early but important sign that LEO-based positioning could become a workable backup to GNSS for critical systems.