The ESA BEACON concept. Image by GMV
GMV‘s subsidiaries in the U.K. and Portugal were awarded a contract under the European Space Agency’s NAVISP program to develop BEACON, an advanced beamforming antenna and receiver system designed to improve the resilience of C-band Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) signals from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. The 18-month, 800,000 euro ($939,000) program will launch this month,
The BEACON initiative requires GMV to combine beamforming, null-steering and angle-of-arrival estimation to enhance signal integrity and provide stronger protection against interference and spoofing. By delivering these capabilities for C-band, GMV said that BEACON would add a critical component to the region’s emerging end-to-end LEO-based PNT chain. GMV will manage the system from design and integration through calibration and validation
“Our goal at GMV is simple: to make navigation you can trust, wherever you are. By integrating agile beamforming antenna technology with advanced signal processing, BEACON will deliver a PNT capability that remains reliable even under demanding interference conditions.” William Roberts, NAV Manager at GMV UK, said in a statement.