Xona Space Systems launched its first production satellite, Pulsar-0, on June 20 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA. The satellite is part of Xona’s planned low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation intended to deliver high-performance positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services.
Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Burlingame, California, Xona develops commercial PNT systems using LEO satellites. The company provides satellite-based navigation services designed for enhanced performance, precision, and resilience.
What is PNT?
PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) refers to technologies that determine precise location, guide movement, and provide accurate time synchronization. These capabilities are essential in sectors such as transportation, defense, finance, and telecommunications. Most existing PNT services, such as GPS, operate in medium Earth orbit, where signal strength and responsiveness can be limited. Xona’s LEO system is designed to provide stronger signals, lower latency, improved accuracy, and greater resistance to jamming or spoofing.
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From Huggin to Pulsar-0
Before Pulsar-0, Xona launched its first demonstration Pulsar™ satellite, named Huggin, in 2022 to validate key technical elements of its planned navigation service. This mission allowed Xona to test on-orbit waveform reconfigurability and demonstrate precise, secure, and high-performance positioning capabilities from LEO. This earlier satellite laid the technical foundation for the company’s transition from research and development to operational deployment.
Fueling Xona’s mission to orbit
In 2020, Xona raised $1 million in pre-seed funding from investors including 1517, Seraphim Capital, Trucks Venture Capital, and Stellar Solutions to support early development of its Pulsar™ navigation service. In 2021, it received additional funding from Seraphim Space Investment Trust (Part of Seraphim Capital) and new investors MaC Venture Capital, and Toyota Ventures. The funding supported the build-out of Xona’s first orbital mission and the development of a test and manufacturing facility.
In 2022, Xona completed an oversubscribed funding round by new investors such as First Spark Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, SRI Ventures, Velvet Sea Ventures, Gaingels, Airstream Venture Partner, and Space VC, further advancing its commercial efforts. In May 2024, the company raised $19 million in a Series A round led by Future Ventures and Seraphim Space, with new investors including NGP Capital, Industrious Ventures, Murata Electronics, Space Capital, and Aloniq, to support the rollout of its satellite system.
In this article, we take a closer look at the patenting activity of Xona Space Systems, and the patents that contributed to the development of Pulsar-0 and the broader Pulsar™ system.
Xona Space Systems: Patenting Activity
Since the company’s founding in 2019, as of this time, Xona has 18 active patents and can be grouped into the following patent families:
| Patent Family | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
| US12366665 | LEO satellite constellation system for facilitating enhanced positioning and methods for use therewith | 2019-05-28 | 2024-04-19 |
| US11899120 | Generation and transmission of navigation signals | 2021-06-30 | 2023-12-22 |
| WO2024151297 | Satellite constellation system for facilitating enhanced positioning and gateway for use therewith | 2022-11-04 | 2023-10-31 |
| WO2024226463 | LEO satellite constellation system for facilitating enhanced positioning and methods for use therewith | 2023-04-26 | 2024-04-23 |
13 patents claim priority from the ‘665 patent family, primarily covering aspects of transmitting high-precision data from satellites. For 2021, there are 3 patents under the ‘120 patent family patents concerning transmission of signals from a satellite constellation, and the generation of signals from the satellite.
In line with the launch of Huggin, the pending patent (‘297) concerns ground nodes that receive the signals from the satellite system. The most recent filing activity from ‘463 was a PCT application related to the Pulsar™ system in LEO.
Xona Space Systems: Top Jurisdictions
Most of Xona Space Systems’ patent filings are in the United States, followed by applications in Japan, and Europe. Japan, with its active space agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and satellite launch capabilities, represents a potential strategic market for Xona’s satellite navigation technology. While there is no public evidence of a direct partnership between Xona and JAXA, both operate within the same LEO-PNT exosystem. Xona’s collaborations with industry partners such as Aerospacelab, who have worked with JAXA through Mitsui Bussan Aerospace, suggest potential indirect links. Filings in Europe likely reflect the company’s presence in the UK.
Canada also appears in Xona’s portfolio, aligning with its operational activities in the region. These include the establishment of a Montreal office to expand its engineering and business development teams, participation in Canadian space industry events, and engagement with local partners, such as Hexagon and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), to advance LEO-PNT services for North American and international markets.
Xona Space Systems: Top Law Firms
Among all listed law firms, Garlick & Markison ranks highest in terms of Xona’s patent filings, both in the United States and globally. This is followed by Katz Ruby & Carle, and by Marks & Clerk, and Hiroe and Associates, which handled an equal number of filings. Hiroe and Associates primarily managed filings in Asia, particularly in Japan. Completing the list is Canada-based Kirby Eades Gale Baker.
Xona Space Systems: Top Technology Areas
Given Xona’s focus on developing a PNT service, their portfolio is majorly classified on radio-based navigation, positioning, and detection systems (G01S).The second major classification, B64G, relates to methods and technologies for launching spacecraft into outer space–reflecting the transportation systems needed to deploy satellites. Lastly, to support the reliable transmission of data, some patents are classified under H04B, which covers transmission systems.
How Pulsar-0 and the Pulsar system works as a whole
Understanding the technology behind the Pulsar system involves looking at how Pulsar-0 operates within a broader architecture, including satellite functions, signal transmission, and user-side positioning. To gain deeper insight into these components and how they work together, we turn to Xona’s related patent filings.
A closer look at the satellite system
U.S. Patent No. 12,366,665, titled “LEO satellite constellation system for facilitating enhanced positioning and methods for use therewith,” describes a method for providing satellite-based navigation through the use of LEO satellites. The approach involves each LEO satellite receiving signals from traditional Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GPS, including data like ephemeris, clock, and ranging information. These signals are processed onboard using precise point positioning (PPP) corrections to improve the satellite’s own positional and timing accuracy.
The system incorporates inter-satellite communication, enabling satellites within the same constellation to exchange correction data and operational status. This allows continuous updates and error detection across the network. After applying the corrections, each satellite broadcasts an enhanced navigation message to ground users. Combined with traditional GNSS satellites, this broadcast improves positioning accuracy for receiving devices.
The satellite design also includes multiple components to support both navigation functionality and operational control. The top of the satellite body houses a GPS receiver, solar panels, and a second backhaul transceiver. Additional solar panels are mounted on deployable plates extending from the main body. The rear face includes a second sun sensor and a second inter-satellite link transceiver. The side features a third retroreflector used for tracking or calibration. Internally, a satellite processing system calculates the precise orbital position, which supports accurate navigation signal generation as well as positioning and maneuvering through a flight control system.
The patent also describes stronger signal transmissions enabled by the satellite’s lower orbital altitude, improving signal availability in obstructed environments. It further outlines optional security features such as encryption and message authentication, to enhance resistance against interference or spoofing.
U.S. Patent No. 12,366,665 was filed on April 19, 2024, and was granted on July 22, 2025. Andrew Michael Neish, Robert Martin Grayson, Tyler Gerald René Reid, and Adrien Louis Henry Perkins are listed as the inventors.
The satellite constellation signals from the ground up
Complementing the previous patent, U.S. Patent No. 11,899,120 describes a method of generating and transmitting navigation signals to improve the operation and accuracy of the LEO satellite constellation. While the ‘665 patent focuses on signal reception, physical design, hardware, and correction processing onboard each satellite, the ‘120 patent focuses on the content and generation of the navigation signals themselves.
The patent integrates correction data directly into navigation messages, unlike traditional GNSS systems that transmit atmospheric or orbital corrections through separate channels. Including this data in the primary broadcast allows receivers to obtain high-precision positioning without additional links. This is particularly valuable in areas with poor connectivity. The messages also include integrity information to detect errors or interference.
Onboard processors combine ephemeris and clock data with environmental corrections, cryptographic elements, and integrity parameters into a structured format. The signal is then broadcast with precise timing, efficient bandwidth use, and strong quality over a wide coverage area.
Each satellite transmits these navigation messages directly to receivers, providing position, timing, and updated correction data sourced from a ground network. Devices can use these signals independently or together with traditional GNSS. The ground node collects data from non-LEO constellations such as GPS and Galileo as well as from the LEO broadcasts. It refines orbital and timing corrections and relays them back to satellites to keep messages accurate.
The system also uses backhaul transceivers to receive correction data via terrestrial stations or geostationary relays, ensuring satellites are updated promptly. A geographically distributed network of ground stations maintains constant satellite visibility, provides redundancy, and enables fast delivery of corrections.
The patent was filed on June 30, 2021 and was granted on February 13, 2024, with Robert Martin Grayson, Andrew Michael Neish, and Joshua Earl McGhee as the listed inventors.
Both U.S. Patents No. 12,366,665 and 11,899,120 were represented by attorneys Katherine Stuckman and Bruce Stuckman.
The future of Xeno’s Pulsar system after the launch
The launch of Pulsar-0 marks an initial step in development of Xona’s Pulsar system. The company plans to scale to a satellite constellation network of 250-300 satellites to deliver secure, high-accuracy positioning services. Backed by $92 million in funding in post-launch funding and support from the U.S. Space Force, Xona is currently conducting live sky testing with Pulsar-0 ahead of its first operational launches planned for 2026.
