TrustPoint CEO Previews Constellation Build-Out With EnduroSat Deal

TrustPoint is moving forward to build out its GPS-independent PNT constellation plans, tapping EnduroSat US to build 40 satellites in a deal announced Thursday.

These 40 satellites will take the company’s constellation to 47 satellites, including three previously launched spacecraft and four spacecraft in development as part of a SpaceWERX Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) awarded earlier this year.

“It’s a signal that we’re transitioning out of the R&D demo and pilot timeframe into the operational, production timeframe. That’s the transition Trust Point will be going through in 2027,” CEO and founder Patrick Shannon told Via Satellite.

The constellation will fly a C-band GNSS payload to provide resilient, precision positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) that is independent of GPS and does not operate in L-band. TrustPoint has completed a number of milestones with its satellites in-orbit including transmitting and receiving C-band GNSS signal and the first C-band ground-to-space PNT demonstration.

As GNSS interference is on the rise, Shannon says the company has “tremendous” unsolicited inbound from international organizations and governments looking to leverage C-band for navigation, as well as the company’s contracts with the U.S. government.

Shannon expects electronic warfare to have increasing impact to and to civilian applications like food delivery, emergency services, maritime trade, and commercial aviation.

“Electronic warfare is here to stay. It’s not going anywhere, and it doesn’t just affect the warfighter. Jamming and spoofing do not respect boundaries,” he said. “They do not respect whether you’re a warfighter or a civilian, and there are tens if not hundreds of millions of people across Europe and hundreds of millions of people across the Middle East that are daily or weekly impacted by electronic warfare. Those numbers will skyrocket as things heat up in the Asian Pacific.”
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