The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has selected ArkEdge to conduct an initial study into a LEO-PNT augmentation constellation for the geostationary Quasi-Senith Satellite System (QZSS). The LEO-PNT constellation aims to provide worldwide GNSS services and expand Japan’s formerly regional GNSS solution at a cost-effective and resilient scale. ArkEdge will explore “satellite and constellation tradeoffs” and signal bands as part of the study.

While the study and future LEO-PNT have the potential to provide a quick boost to Japan’s GNSS capabilities, it also introduces several cybersecurity concerns. The first cybersecurity concern could be that information published in the future ArkEdge study could be manipulated or modeling software could suffer from poisoned data. Additionally, it could inadvertently expose information about the constellation that cyber actors could begin to plan against. Additionally, the LEO-PNT system will almost certainly integrate with the legacy QZSS system, posing security risks by targeting the GEO asset or ground station. Lastly, constellation tradeoffs identified in the study could decrease the cost but increase the cybersecurity risk to the constellation by integrating commercially available components. These risks will require JAXA to consider its development and deployment of a LEO-PNT capability carefully.

Article: ArkEdge Space wins JAXA position, navigation and timing contract – SpaceNews