The Space Force awarded Slingshot Aerospace a $1.9M SBIR Phase 2 contract to refine its GPS interference detection technology, the startup announced today.
The contract from Space Systems Command follows a $1.9M Phase 1 contract awarded in 2021, which tasked Slingshot with developing an initial capability through its DEEP (Data Exploitation and Enhanced Processing) system.
PNT-SENTINEL will take advantage of a mesh network of thousands of satellites to identify locations on the ground where GPS signals are being jammed or spoofed (when interference makes it seem like you’re located somewhere else). The company will also use AI and machine learning to improve the system’s modeling capabilities.
- PNT-SENTINEL will use Agatha, Slingshot’s AI model to predict how a jamming situation may unfold.
- Slingshot will expand its coverage capabilities, monitoring GPS interference as well as impacts on GNSS services.
- The system will also improve its user interface and interoperability with existing military systems to ensure officials can easily access and use the data.
Why now: Incidences of GPS jamming and spoofing have increased substantially in recent years, according to GPS World. GPS interference can wreak havoc on modern military systems and commercial aircraft alike.
“These events that happen usually foretell, or they can foretell, nefarious actions in the future. And so, it’s really good to know when these events are happening, how those might evolve over time,” Slingshot’s VP of AI and data science Dylan Kesler told Payload.
PNT-SENTINEL will be able to give US military leadership a clearer picture of what’s happening in potential conflict zones. The system will also be able to quickly identify GPS interference transmitters and more precisely pinpoint their location.
“You can imagine how that might be useful,” Kesler said.
