Heidi Kuusniemi

The global navigation satellite system (GNSS) continues to evolve in order to meet the demands of emerg ing applications such as autonomous driving and smart environmental monitoring. However, these advancements are accompanied by a rise in interference threats, which can significantly compromise the reliability and safety of GNSS. Such interference problems are typically addressed through signal-processing techniques that rely on physics inspired mathematical models. Unfortunately, solutions of this nature often fail to fully capture different forms of interference such as complex types. To address this, artificial intelligence (AI)-inspired solutions are expected to play a key role in future interference management solutions, thanks to their ability to exploit data in addition to physics-based models. This magazine paper discusses the main challenges and tasks required to secure GNSS receivers and present a research vision on how AI can be leveraged towards achieving more robust GNSS-based positioning.

The global navigation satellite system (GNSS) continues to evolve in order to meet the demands of emerging applications such as autonomous driving and smart environmental monitoring. However, these advancements are accompanied by a rise in interference threats, which can significantly compromise the reliability and safety of GNSS. Such interference problems are typically addressed through signal-processing techniques that rely on physics-based mathematical models. Unfortunately, solutions of this nature can often fail to fully capture the complex forms of interference. To address this, artificial intelligence (AI)-inspired solutions are expected to play a key role in future interference management solutions, thanks to their ability to exploit data in addition to physics-based models. This magazine paper discusses the main challenges and tasks required to secure GNSS and present a research vision on how AI can be leveraged towards achieving more robust GNSS-based positioning.

The growth of satellite-based positioning methods has revolutionized global navigation by providing reliable geolocation capabilities. However, traditional Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are increasingly vulnerable to threats like jamming, spoofing, and interception, undermining their reliability in critical applications such as in-flight navigation and emergency services. To address these challenges, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations have emerged as a promising complement to GNSS infrastructure. LEO satellites, orbiting at lower altitudes with higher density, offer improved signal availability, reduced degradation, and better reception on Earth. This paper presents a LEO satellite-based positioning method via massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) beamforming antennas. The proposed technique not only mitigates GNSS vulnerabilities but also introduces a passive sensing mechanism that facilitates positioning without complex timing synchronization, improving resilience in jamming-prone environments. By utilizing LEO satellite beam identifiers as geographic pointers, our method enables precise positioning through LEO satellite ephemeris and beam pattern data. We validate this beam-based method through simulations, LEO constellation data, vehicular drive-test datasets, and probabilistic positioning models. Positioning results from the first dataset show a mean absolute error (MAE) of 9.15 meters and a 95th percentile error (p95%) of 19.07 meters when combining LEO satellite data with inertial motion data from a moving vehicle. Meanwhile, GNSS accuracy was MAE = 26.6 meters and p95% = 56.6 meters. The second dataset showed consistent results with accuracy improvements in MAE from 18.55 to 9.42 meters, RMSE from 22.24 to 12.05 meters, and p95% from 36.38 to 21.18 meters, compared to GNSS. These findings highlight the potential of LEO satellite positioning to improve accuracy and reliability in challenging environments, with implications for critical applications such as remote sensing, emergency response, search and rescue, and situational awareness.

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites are expected to improve the robustness and reliability of critical Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services by increasing both the efficiency and diversity of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). However, the feasibility of LEO-PNT services remains uncertain primarily due to the large number of required satellites. The deployment of a LEO-PNT system therefore depends on the feasibility of deploying many LEO satellites with characteristics strongly dependent on the performance requirements of both the payload and the platform. This work addresses the feasibility uncertainty by modeling two potential LEO-PNT payloads and satellite platform designs with different size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements. Based on simulations and components currently available in the space market, a holistic modeling for the performance of low- and high-SWaP payload designs is evaluated with a focus on clock stability and signal quality. Additionally, the design process includes an assessment of a custom navigation antenna to ensure that the antenna can meet its stringent size and performance constraints. The feasibility of the proposed LEO-PNT constellations is evaluated based on satellite link, power, and mass budgets, as well as antenna performance. In addition, the cost of both the low- and high-SWaP satellites is estimated. This work shows that LEO-PNT payload and constellations are feasible with the technology commercially available today, and they could offer significantly stronger PNT signals compared to traditional GNSS services. The work also benchmarks the proposed payloads against commercial projects in terms of SWaP, timing and positioning accuracy. These results can assist future LEO-PNT simulations to utilize detailed information of payload components and take LEO-PNT services a step closer to realization.

Designing a globally ubiquitous positioning system that works seamlessly in all environments remains a critical area of ongoing research. While Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GPS, are the predominant technology for global outdoor positioning, they fail in areas with physical obstructions (e.g., dense urban regions and indoors) and are prone to jamming. These limitations significantly restrict their global accessibility and dependability, highlighting the need for supplementary positioning technologies. Recently, private companies like SpaceX have started deploying Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites for various applications, primarily communication. LEO satellites operate at much lower altitudes than GNSS satellites, offering higher signal penetration capabilities and reduced susceptibility to jamming, making them a promising complementary positioning technology. In this paper, we present our vision for opportunistically leveraging LEO satellite signals to achieve ubiquitous and reliable global positioning. We explore diverse opportunities enabled by our vision and discuss the multi-disciplinary challenges that must be addressed for its realization.

Originally confined to the governmental sector, the space ecosystem has recently undergone a transformative shift with the private sector’s penetration redefining the established dynamics. Concurrently, the advent of digitalization and the influence of the capitalist mindset have contributed to a further reshaping of the space ecosystem. This convergence of forces signaled the dawn of the “New Space” era, prompting architectural modifications across the entire ecosystem. However, a comprehensive understanding of the architecture of the New Space Ecosystem remains elusive. Therefore, our primary objective is to conduct a systematic review to unveil and elucidate the architectural intricacies of the New Space Ecosystem. In our investigation, we have identified remarkable parallels between the architecture of the digital platform ecosystem and that of the New Space. Consequently, we posit that leveraging the existing literature on digital platform ecosystems may serve as a valuable bedrock for unraveling the complexities inherent in the New Space Ecosystem. Accordingly, our study makes three substantial contributions: (1) identifying the key dynamics that have shaped the architecture of the New Space Ecosystem, (2) delineating the distinct layers composing the New Space Ecosystem, and (3) proposing a prospective research agenda derived from the parallels drawn with the digital platform ecosystem.

This paper aims to examine the state-of-the-art concerning the commercial aspects of navigation satellite systems. The objective of this systematic literature review is to gather existing literature, map the current state of knowledge, and propose new research avenues regarding the commercial aspects of navigation satellites. To achieve these goals, we conducted a systematic literature review, reviewing 32 papers on navigation satellite systems and their application for commercial usage. Based on the literature, we identify six themes and elaborate on how these themes contribute to our understanding of the topic. The research indicates a scarcity of comprehensive studies on the commercial aspects of satellite navigation-enabled location-based services. Therefore, further investigation is necessary to identify and understand the business models and ecosystems of companies operating in this industry.

This chapter examines the evolution of the space economy from government-led institutional exploration to a more market-driven, vital part of global infrastructure. Our findings highlight its growing importance in modern life and the need for sustainable and responsible utilization of space in the future, as well as the need to understand the economic implications and linkages of the space domain specifically. We have conducted a systematic literature review of publications from 2018 to 2022 across various databases to explore the economic activities within the space sector and to gain a better understanding of the macro-level linkages between the different segments of the space economy and their relevance to the broader, global economy. We approach this question through OECD’s classification of space activities, incorporating three additional segments such legal aspects, to offer a more nuanced understanding of the space economy, differentiating the economic activities happening in space on a suitable level of granularity. Ultimately, we wish to contribute by creating a structured framework for policymakers and stakeholders to better understand the nuances of the space economy, enhancing informed decision-making for responsible management and sustainable growth in the space sector.

Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites provide the potential to overcome the current limitations in global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) due to the increased satellite velocity and signal reception power. As the whole LEO segment grows, preliminary studies and simulations have been conducted in the most recent years to identify how to develop a LEO-PNT system and add value to GNSS. To promote the development of LEO-PNT, this work presents the simulation of several key components of a dedicated LEO-PNT system. Our investigation analyzes features of the satellite constellation, orbits, on-board instruments, signal propagation effects, user measurements, and map the accuracy of the service on the ground. The analysis considers the signal propagation from both LEO and medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites and provides the expected accuracy of a ground user when certain system parameters and instruments are defined in the space mission design. All parameters and statistical distributions, which can serve to future LEO-PNT simulations and developments, are presented. For validation and demonstration, a comparison is presented to analyze the expected positioning errors for LEO satellites, and how they differ from the classic GNSS. Our investigation enables a valuable quantitative analysis of the dedicated LEO-PNT systems and provides analysis for LEO-PNT systems design optimization.