NASA Tests GPS-Free Satellite Navigation System Using Orbital Objects as Beacons

NASA has successfully tested a new navigation system called FALCON, designed to allow satellites to determine their position without relying on GPS. The system works by using other spacecraft and orbital debris as reference points for navigation. During a three-day test, FALCON autonomously refined the known orbits of over 200 space objects. Simultaneously, the system accurately calculated the position of NASA's Starling spacecraft. The development marks a significant step toward independent satellite navigation in increasingly congested orbital environments.