BBC Inside Science Should we rethink navigating by GPS?
Jan 29, 2026
Professor Tim Horbury, a space physicist studying solar magnetic fields, and Ramsey Faragher, a navigation expert on GNSS vulnerabilities. They discuss satellite navigation being vulnerable to jamming and spoofing. They also explore how solar storms and Solar Orbiter magnetometer data can disrupt systems and give early warnings. Short, urgent science on how we find our way and what might throw us off.
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Satellite Navigation Is Fragile
- Global GNSS signals are fragile and can be easily jammed or spoofed, affecting ships, planes, cars and phones across regions.
- Ramsey Faragher warns this over-reliance makes navigation vulnerable to geopolitical interference and cascading system failures.
Real-World GNSS Failures On Planes
- Pilots have been power-cycling aircraft systems after landings to clear incorrect GNSS-fed data.
- Ramsey Faragher recounts private jets where toilets stop flushing when GPS signals are jammed.
Spoofing Can Mislead Rescuers
- Emergency distress systems transmit GPS positions, so spoofing can misdirect rescue and response.
- Faragher highlights that false positioning undermines critical maritime safety functions.