Starlink suspends its fake GPS-style code. Researchers can release.

In 2021, the group led by Zak on the way outThe director of the Autonomous Systems Perception, Intelligence, and Navigation (ASPIN) Laboratory at The Ohio State University, demonstrated how computerized monitoring of data from six Starlink satellites is possible. name the place On Earth to within 8 meters of accuracy – although this requires 13 minutes to scan rather than giving immediate results.

Such casual listening is difficult, because Starlink is constantly preparing its first satellite service for the Internet by turning it on and off, or sometimes switching to satellites that move faster and communicate with many different users, Kassas explained. This creates an unexpected jump in the signal timing estimates that researchers rely on to calculate content.

To overcome these challenges, Kassas and his colleagues use Doppler measurements of frequency shifts that indicate the satellite’s motion relative to the receiver, and software algorithms to correct timing errors. They’ve also deployed a variety of antennas capable of communicating with only one or two satellites at a time—including low-power antennas that can pick up about 10 signals at a time. By 2025, the researchers have shown how to use signals from an average of three Starlink satellites. provide location results up to 2 meters accuracy in just 20 seconds.

But this listening method is not limited to thousands of Starlink satellites, it also uses satellites from Orbcomm, Iridium, Starlink, OneWeb, NOAA, and PNT’s dedicated constellation, Xona. “I’m not really married to Starlink — I love them all,” Kassas said.

The team has demonstrated an alternative approach to the journey with ground vehicles, a high-altitude balloon, and a drone. One of the latest experiments showed how the use of Starlink and OneWeb satellite signals can be improved navigation accuracy from the west coast of Greenland in the Arctic, meaning that the method can work almost anywhere in the world.

All of this suggests that people won’t have to wait long for other GPS solutions, whether they come from Starlink or others. Kassas and his team have already provided their expertise to other organizations. “I think people are hungry and hurting without GPS or GNSS, and they want answers,” Kassas told Ars.