Skykraft to drive collaborative PNT Project with Indian partners

Skykraft to drive collaborative PNT Project with Indian partners
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 13, 2024
Skykraft has officially signed the Participating Project Partner Agreement for the "Demonstration of Collaborative Position Navigation and Timing (PNT) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)" project. This effort, backed by an International Space Investment (ISI) India Projects grant from the Australian Government, underscores a major milestone in fostering collaborative space initiatives between Australia and India.

Aligned with the India Economic Strategy to 2035, the project supports the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. These frameworks aim to deepen bilateral ties by advancing shared interests and mutual prosperity. Additional information about this initiative and ISI India Projects is available on the Business.gov.au website.

The project focuses on developing next-generation collaborative PNT systems, which are critical to transportation, communication, and infrastructure. Current systems face vulnerabilities, particularly in aviation, where navigation errors have led to incorrect data being reported to Air Traffic Management (ATM) controllers in certain regions.

Key objectives of the project include demonstrating the viability of large-scale LEO constellations, enhancing the resilience of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) in contested environments, and exploring additional applications for PNT signals in LEO. By showcasing the adaptability and robustness of large-scale constellations, the initiative aims to provide a pathway for a collaborative and resilient LEO-PNT infrastructure.

"This ISI India project will enhance Australia's space capabilities by demonstrating innovative solutions for GNSS-independent positioning and timing and showcase the benefits of a sovereign, resilient, and assured PNT anywhere around the globe," explained Skykraft CEO Michael Frater.

The collaboration integrates expertise from premier institutions in both countries, including:

- RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
- Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, India
- Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), Delhi, India
- FrontierSI, Melbourne, Australia
- University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
- University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia
- Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia

Indian researchers and students will gain access to Australian data and technology, testing waveforms on Australian-built satellites. This exchange is expected to foster stronger business, technology, and cultural connections between the nations.

In addition to advancing PNT systems, the project aims to enhance environmental sensing through GNSS-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) and Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO). These technologies promise better insights into ocean behavior, droughts, and floods while improving real-time weather forecasting, tsunami monitoring, and space weather predictions.

Frater added, "We are proud to have been selected to lead this joint Australia/India project which will provide a strong foundation for both countries to develop and launch a next-generation PNT system. We are looking forward to working with our partners from both nations to successfully deliver the project and encourage development of an operational independent PNT system."

This initiative represents a forward step in global collaboration for cutting-edge space technologies, addressing critical challenges in positioning and timing while fostering innovation.