Space GNSS Receivers and GNSS Reflectometry Instruments
SSTL (Surrey Satellite Technology)
SSTL offers highly regarded Space GNSS receivers for satellite navigation and position, velocity, and time information, alongside pioneering GNSS Reflectometry instruments for Earth observation.
Key figurescomparable across the catalogue
- Mass
- 0.09 kg
- Power
- 0.5 W
- Largest dimension
- 92 mm
Normalised to common units so this product can be compared with others in its category. The supplier's own wording is below.
As published by the supplier
- Dimensions
- 92 x 87 x 12 mm
- Power at 5v
- <0.5 W
- Mass
- 90 g
- Radiation
- >5 kRad (Si), core components tested to 10 krad
- Operating temperature
- -20 to +50 degC
- Non-operating temperature
- -30 to +85 degC
- Number of channels
- 24
- Number of antennas
- 1-2
- Frequencies/signals
- GPS L1 C/A Code; GLONASS G1 (option); Galileo E1 (option)
- Typical position accuracy
- 5 m
- Typical velocity accuracy
- 10 cm/s
- Ttff (NVRAM)
- <90 s
- Time accuracy (UTC)
- 100 ns
- Tm/tc interfaces
- TTL UART, CAN, I2C
- Low power mode
- 12 channel operation <0.4 W at 3V3
About
SSTL has a significant heritage in space navigation, having developed and delivered the first operational payload for Galileo as part of the GIOVE-A mission in 2005, and subsequently supplied 34 navigation payloads for Galileo between 2010 and 2020. These payloads utilize European-sourced atomic clocks, signal generators, high-power TWTAs, and antennas. SSTL’s Space GNSS receivers (SGRs) are known for their quality and robustness, flying on most of SSTL’s own satellites and many other spacecraft. They routinely provide position, velocity, and time information to satellites in low Earth orbit, with over 70 orbiting satellites having used SSTL’s receivers and antennas on missions for UKSA, ESA, NASA, USAF, JAXA, RemoveDEBRIS, and the International Space Station. These receivers are based on COTS components, incorporating radiation mitigation and quality processes suitable for small satellite applications.
SSTL has also pioneered GNSS Reflectometry (GNSS-R), an Earth observation technique that uses GNSS signals as L-Band radar sources. This allows satellites to measure ocean wind speeds, polar ice, and hydrological land parameters with higher spatial resolution and significantly lower cost compared to other methods. Successful GNSS-R payloads have been flown on TechDemoSat-1, DoT-1, and the NASA CYGNSS constellation. SSTL continues to develop this technology and data analysis for new scientific applications. Data from SSTL’s GNSS-R instruments on the CYGNSS mission have demonstrated potential for soil moisture measurement, and preliminary work indicates good sensitivity for Freeze-Thaw sensing in permafrost’s active zone, which is crucial for monitoring methane release and climate change. GNSS-R can also assess biomass, a measure of forest density vital for carbon dioxide removal. Beyond long-term climate observations, soil moisture and inundation measurements from GNSS Reflectometry provide important information for short-term operational purposes, such as Numerical Weather Prediction and flood warnings. SSTL has been awarded an ESA Scout Mission contract for HydroGNSS, a 55kg small satellite mission designed to measure climate change variables using advanced GNSS Reflectometry techniques, including Galileo signals, dual polarization, and coherent signal acquisition, to measure four Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) over land: Soil Moisture, inundation, permafrost freeze/thaw, and biomass.
Documentation
Need the full ICD, test reports or a specific revision? Ask the supplier directly.