A U.S. military-commissioned study explores how SpaceX's Starlink satellites could power a navigation system vastly superior to GPS.
Elon Musk's SpaceX is pushing boundaries across industries, with Starlink aiming to blanket the globe in high-speed internet. In early September 2020, a Falcon 9 launched 60 new satellites toward a goal of at least 12,000 in low Earth orbit. By then, 713 were already operational.
As reported in MIT Technology Review on September 28, 2020, researchers Todd Humphreys and Peter Iannucci from the University of Texas at Austin's Radionavigation Laboratory see Starlink gaining a new role in precision navigation.
Positioned in low Earth orbit (LEO), Starlink satellites could deliver positioning ten times more accurate than GPS, while resisting interference better. Experts note the cost savings: a simple software update on existing hardware would make it feasible.
The study projects tenfold accuracy gains and uninterrupted service for 99.8% of the world's population, requiring only 1% of Starlink's link capacity and 0.5% of its energy.
The proposal draws doubt from Brian Manning, CEO of Xona Space Systems, which is building a competing navigation system. Manning says his team considered similar approaches but shifted to an independent satellite constellation over commercial and technical hurdles.
Humphreys and Iannucci stand firm, hoping military backing will pique Elon Musk's interest for SpaceX collaboration.
