PolyU has a longstanding commitment to space technology, underpinned by a strong track record of ground-breaking research outcomes. A research team led by Prof. WEN Chih-yung, Member of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE) and Chair Professor of Aeronautical Engineering in the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering, has developed Hong Kong’s first integrated low-Earth-orbit (LEO) communication and navigation satellite payload, “LEO CNAV”. The payload was recently successfully launched aboard the Yuxing-3 No. 05 satellite (also known as “Tech-Innovation-1”) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu, and will soon undergo in-orbit testing.
This breakthrough marks a historic milestone for PolyU in satellite technology and space applications and highlights Hong Kong’s leading position in home-grown space technology, injecting fresh impetus into the development of smart cities and the low-altitude economy.
LEO CNAV offers four key technological advantages, namely, functional integration, high-precision positioning, low-cost deployment, and broad application potential, providing comprehensive support for future smart city infrastructure. As regards functional integration, conventional communication and navigation have relied on two separate systems operating independently. LEO CNAV overcomes this limitation by greatly simplifying system design to enable the delivery of communication, navigation and timing services on a single platform. In future, users will need only one receiver to access both functions simultaneously. This innovative breakthrough has earned international recognition, including a Gold Medal at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva. The research team has also filed patent applications for the related core technologies.
In terms of positioning performance, LEO CNAV can be used alongside existing Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GPS, to improve positioning accuracy in dense urban environments dominated by high-rise buildings. Traditional GPS satellites operate at an altitude of around 20,000 km, resulting in relatively weak signals that are vulnerable to interference and “spoofing attacks”, which can pose safety risks for autonomous vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles. By contrast, operating in low Earth orbit at only a few hundred kilometres above the ground, LEO CNAV provides much stronger signals. Combined with a uniquely designed signal scheme developed by the team, it can effectively enhance resistance to interference and spoofing, enabling highly accurate navigation for smart mobility and related applications.
The design of LEO CNAV is tailored to meet the practical needs of the commercial space sector. The payload consumes only around 23 watts of power, lower than that of a typical mobile phone charger, and is compact enough for nano-satellites and other small satellite platforms. Its modular design allows it to be “ride-shared” on a range of commercial satellites, requiring only around 30 watts of power and basic interfaces for deployment. By using commercial off-the-shelf components and cost-control strategies for hardware, the team has significantly reduced launch costs, laying the foundation for future large-scale constellation deployment.
LEO CNAV represents a major advance in positioning and navigation technologies and has wide-ranging applications in both smart city and low-altitude economy scenarios. Potential uses include enabling lane-level positioning for autonomous vehicles, providing precise navigation for UAV logistics and urban air mobility, and supporting urban infrastructure monitoring and emergency response dispatch.
Looking ahead, the team plans to launch additional satellites equipped with LEO CNAV in order to gradually establish a LEO constellation network to support the advancement of smart transportation.
Press release: https://polyu.me/47Zu2Nh
Online coverage:
Mirage - https://polyu.me/41AHqUw
Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/4tTIizK (subscription required)
Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/4cd52oj
Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/4sBbr1q (subscription required)
Headline Daily - https://polyu.me/4sFGRnx; https://polyu.me/4tih9Xc
Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/4cwoVWk
Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/4tSQHn1
HK01 - https://polyu.me/4tMIMY2
Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/4cqq6X1
Headline for HK - https://polyu.me/3OCPCk9
| Research Units | Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations |
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