DALLAS, TX - June 2, 2026 - VectorNav Technologies today announced expanded support for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite signals as an aiding source for its inertial navigation systems (INS), building on its ongoing collaboration with NAL Technologies. The capability is now available as a development kit centered on the VN-210E GNSS-Aided INS, with broader support available across VectorNav's Tactical Series upon request.
This release enables users to integrate Iridium® Satellite Time & Location (STL) signals directly into VectorNav's INS architecture, providing an additional measurement input alongside inertial and GNSS data. In testing, STL-aided navigation has demonstrated positioning performance within approximately 50 meters CEP in GNSS-denied conditions while maintaining continuous inertial position, velocity, and attitude outputs.
Unlike traditional GNSS constellations operating in Medium Earth Orbit at approximately 20,000 km altitude, the Iridium network operates a cross-linked constellation of 66 active satellites in Low Earth Orbit at roughly 780 km. The significantly lower orbital altitude produces signals substantially stronger at the Earth's surface - up to 1,000 times greater than GPS - improving resistance to jamming, attenuation, and environmental obstruction.
The VN-210E provides four independent serial interfaces and a tightly-coupled extended Kalman filter, allowing LEO-derived measurements to be incorporated alongside GNSS, M-Code, vision-based navigation, and other assured PNT technologies. The result is a modular and highly-customizable INS architecture capable of meeting a range of program requirements or operating scenarios.
The VN-210E development kit provides a practical path for engineering teams to evaluate LEO-aided navigation:
Support for LEO aiding is also available across VectorNav's full-size Tactical Series (VN-210, VN-310, and VN-310E Dual Antenna GNSS/INS products) for program-specific integrations.
This capability represents a step toward a more tightly integrated solution. Future iterations will focus on deeper hardware integration, reduced SWaP-C, and streamlined deployment for production programs.
"Inertial remains the foundation," said Andrew Greer, Senior Director of Business Development. "LEO signals add another layer of resilience. By fusing multiple independent sources, we maintain a stable navigation solution when any single input is degraded or denied."
For more information or to request a development kit, contact sales@vectornav.com.
About VectorNav Technologies
VectorNav Technologies is a global leader in inertial navigation systems, providing high-performance IMU, GNSS/INS, and APNT solutions to customers across the defense, aerospace, industrial, and autonomous vehicle markets. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, USA, VectorNav combines cutting-edge inertial sensors with proven algorithms and extensive calibration and testing processes to deliver unmatched accuracy, reliability, and quality.
For more information, please visit www.vectornav.com
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