Project Hecate: The Space Force’s quiet effort to keep GPS survivable after 2040 – Breaking Defense

February 26, 2026

Written by Editor

Image: Shutterstock

What’s new: Interesting insight to a Space Force study about future space-based PNT for the military.

Why it’s important: It seems to give some interesting hints about DoD’s thinking and potential plans.

What else to know: 

  • The study abstract discusses leveraging existing commercial Space Data Networks (SDN) for military PNT
  • We wonder if, since the defense establishment has ceased its own LEO PNT efforts, if it might be contemplating purchasing a LEO PNT system outright or establishing long term contracts with one or more providers.
  • This is a Space Force effort, so everything under consideration is space-based.
  • We wonder if anyone is looking at the department’s overall future PNT architecture and incorporating any terrestrial broadcast and/or autonomous systems like magnetic sensing and quantum.

 

Space

Project Hecate: The Space Force’s quiet effort to keep GPS survivable after 2040

Meanwhile, the Space Warfighting Analysis Center is pushing the use of signals from communications satellites in low Earth orbit as a near-term alternative to GPS.

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Goddess Hecate – Shutterstock

 

 

 

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