Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) information is widely used for a range of critical services. The main sources for PNT information are GNSS satellites. The RF signals provided by the GNSS satellites covers wide areas but are quite weak and vulnerable to unintentional or intentional interference. This has been experienced in Norway.

In this project, the novel concept of utilizing the suggested VDE-SAT frequency band allocations to offer a purpose-designed ranging signal, to serve as an independent source of PNT for maritime navigation, has been investigated.

The NorSat-TD satellite has been used as a test platform for investigating the feasibility of using VDE-SAT for ranging. The result is over 1000 VDE-SAT range measurements made to a ground station in Trondheim, Norway. These measurements are used to show that VDE-SAT can provide ranging with a standard deviation of 335.2 m, with identifiable and correctable influence of ionospheric time-delay. Additionally, a positioning performance analysis shows that a single satellite can provide positioning accuracy of near 1 km to maritime users.

It has previously been shown that VDE-SAT can form a basis for alternative PNT in a multiple source solution using GNSS satellites, VDES satellites and terrestrial VDES infrastructures. A single VDE-SAT ranging signal also has a potential for complimenting terrestrial platforms used for independent PNT such as R-mode. However, this has been the first campaign to successfully gather empirical VDE-SAT range measurements and validating the results of these feasibility studies. With highlighted key points of improvement, this has been an important first step in providing an alternative PNT-source in areas exposed to GNSS interference.