The National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) and Thales Alenia Space, a joint-venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%) cooperate to explore opportunities in the field of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space navigation systems. 

The growing dependence of our economies and daily lives on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) is driving a remarkable wave of innovation, leading to groundbreaking technologies that deliver enhanced resilience and exponentially improved performance. At the forefront of this revolution, LEO PNT –Low Earth Orbit Positioning, Navigation, and Timing– is emerging today as a real game-changer. 

Indeed, LEO PNT satellites will provide guaranteed and sovereign centimeter location accuracy, robustness, resistance against jamming and spoofing as well as low latency (very fast acquisition). LEOPNT will thus allow serving emerging applications as high level autonomy cars including persistent coverage in dense urban areas, unmanned aerial & maritime vehicles or 5G/6G ground telecommunication network synchronization. 

Recognizing the strategic importance of LEO PNT, the NSSTC is working closely with Thales Alenia Space, a global reference in satellite navigation and space technologies, to explore opportunities in this domain. This partnership was first formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the "Paris Air Show 2025", establishing a common framework for cooperation. Building on that foundation, both parties have just signed a new agreement, marking the start of joint technical studies and engineering activities focused on regulatory protection and system design elements for LEO PNT. This collaboration reflects a common vision to explore innovative pathways that can enhance the robustness and sovereignty of future navigation services, while deepening international cooperation and knowledge exchange between the UAE and Europe in the field of space technology. 

“This collaboration marks an important step toward building the UAE’s next-generation navigation capabilities. LEO PNT will bring a new level of precision and resilience, and working with Thales Alenia Space allows us to accelerate our path toward a sovereign system that supports the UAE’s long-term strategic vision” said Ali Al Shehhi, Director of NSSTC. 

“LEO PNT is a game changer in satellite navigation in terms of increased precision, resilience and signal penetration enabling new applications and economic growth. We are proud to offer our solid expertise in satellite navigation to the NSSTC, thereby strengthening our collaboration with the United Arab Emirates in the space domain", said Hervé Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space.