We are on the cusp of a new era in satellite-based precision navigation and timing.

Soon, the billions of devices and systems that rely on GPS to function will have the choice to use a more accurate sense of place in our world.

Today, we launched Pulsar-0, the first production-class satellite in our Low Earth Orbit constellation that will bring unmatched accuracy and affordable resiliency to industries across defense, construction, agriculture, mining, critical infrastructure, logistics, and automotive—and that’s just the start. We believe introducing this technology will unlock an entirely new category of innovation by providing a new way to localize hardware in our physical world.

Our way of life is immensely dependent on legacy GPS.

Critical infrastructure, civil aviation, and financial systems rely on positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services from aging government satellites to function. But they are vulnerable and easy to manipulate. The need for resiliency in this infrastructure is urgent, and Pulsar will be a key part in closing this gap. We’ve heard from leaders across private and public sectors alike that there is no time to waste.

Pulsar-0 entered orbit aboard Transporter-14 and will begin broadcasting signals to Earth after it completes spacecraft commissioning. Its primary mission is to validate our technology and unlock live sky testing with our early customers, charting the path for more frequent launches as we grow our constellation and begin commercial operations.

Building hardware is hard. Building hardware for space is even harder. Along the way we’ve had to make difficult decisions to preserve momentum in the face of supply chain volatility. One of those decisions was to proceed with launching Pulsar-0 without a propulsion system onboard, a tradeoff that reduces the mission capability and lifetime from our initial plans but has enabled us to stay on track for launch and begin testing quickly. In a world where resilient PNT is needed now more than ever, launching sooner means real-world implementation can begin sooner. Every day we wait is a day that infrastructure, safety systems, and industries remain vulnerable. So we’re not waiting.

Over the coming months, Pulsar-0 will demonstrate:

• Precise location: Making progress towards delivering on our partnership with Trimble, Pulsar-0 will broadcast real-time precision location with accuracy greater than 10cm. By broadcasting GNSS corrections from low Earth orbit, Pulsar can provide improved positioning before our full constellation is operational while users benefit from stronger signals that reach more places.

• Range authentication: Legacy GPS signals are open and unencrypted, opening the door for malicious actors to generate counterfeit signals that are perceived as real. Pulsar will show a new way to verify the authenticity of our signal in action, providing protection against spoofing attacks.

• Jamming resistance: Today, contested environments are frequently jammed, blocking legacy GPS signals which disrupts civilian life and military operations. With a received signal strength 100 times stronger than that of legacy GPS, Pulsar will outperform in denied domains where jammers and other interference might be present.

• Signal penetration: Environments occluded from open sky have long been a challenge for legacy GPS to reach. We expect to show Pulsar excelling in these environments, bringing reliable connection to traditionally denied spaces inside reinforced buildings, urban canyons, and more.

Pulsar-0 is a milestone to bring the first commercial PNT service to market and marks the beginning of our path to scale and commercialization.

As we prove our capabilities in the real world, we’re also turning our attention to what’s ahead, focusing on building the capacity to launch more satellites faster, growing our constellation to achieve persistent and redundant coverage everywhere on Earth.