Sierra Space Demonstrates Resilient GPS Satellite Technology for National Security-Focused U.S. Space Force Satellite Program

Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company and defense tech prime that is Building a Platform in Space to Benefit Life on Earth and protect economic freedom in the Orbital Age, announced a successful demonstration of the company’s Resilient GPS (R-GPS) technology for the U.S. Space Force (USSF). This major accomplishment, generating all GPS navigation signals required for the R-GPS mission, was achieved in collaboration with General Dynamics Mission Systems. This technology targets the increased need for more resilient GPS systems that protect the United States against adversarial threats like jamming and spoofing of the current GPS infrastructure.

GPS technology plays a crucial role in daily life, supporting everything from civilian services such as smartphone map applications to vital military and defense uses. However, as adversarial threats become more advanced, there is an increasing need for more resilient GPS infrastructure. To address this, the USSF’s Quick Start program is developing concepts for integrating a layer of smaller and more affordable satellites into the existing GPS framework. This R-GPS layer of smaller GPS satellites would be capable of rapid fielding to counter evolving threats. Sierra Space’s expertise in small satellite technology provides a competitive edge in achieving this goal.

In September 2024 Sierra Space announced a “Quick Start” R-GPS contract awarded by the USSF Space Systems Command (SSC) to develop design concepts for smaller, more affordable GPS satellites. Later In 2024, Sierra Space successfully passed an internal Systems Requirements Review. Now, a few short months after the program began, Sierra Space has passed this even larger milestone, providing a positive demonstration of the R-GPS program's technology.

The demonstration focused on the satellite's hardware, firmware, and software that generates 'YMCA' waveforms including P(Y), M-code, and C/A signals at L1 and L2 frequencies. This achievement is a significant step forward in ensuring that the GPS navigation signals generated by R-GPS satellites will be accurate, secure, and compatible with the devices that millions of people use every day.