NaviGate, a spin-off from Sapienza University of Rome, has successfully completed an in-orbit demonstration of its NaviCode Caravel software. The test took place on an ION Satellite Carrier operated by D-Orbit, using the satellite's existing GNSS receiver without additional hardware.
The software autonomously calculates a satellite's position and predicts future trajectories in real time. During the flight tests, the system achieved a formal positioning uncertainty of 5.2 cm using GPS measurements, with mean values remaining in the decimeter range.
The demonstration was conducted in two phases, starting with ground validation on an engineering model, followed by execution on the orbiting ION platform. The results were verified against reference orbits generated by the European Space Agency's GODOT software.
NaviCode Caravel is the first product in the NaviCode fleet and was named a winner of the 2026 CASSINI Challenges. NaviGate is now initiating pilot deployments with constellation operators and mission integrators to reduce ground-based infrastructure requirements.
The project was supported by the Italian Technology Transfer Hub Galaxia, which is backed by CDP Venture Capital and Obloo Ventures. NaviGate's founders previously contributed to navigation systems for NASA and ESA missions, including Juno and BepiColombo.
