The RF & SatNav Laboratory, more formally “The Radio Frequency and Satellite Navigation Laboratory”, is the preeminent academic laboratory for the research and investigation of software defined radio applied to satellite navigation receivers.

The laboratory is directed by Professor Dennis Akos who implemented the first Global Positioning System (GPS) software defined radio in the mid-1990s.  Since the laboratory was established in 2005, the work of Professor Akos, his collaborators, and students have furthered all aspects of satellite navigation technology from the antenna design, advanced radio processing, and the digital signal processing.  This work initiated with the US Global Positioning System (GPS) but has since expanded to included efforts across the three other global constellations: GLONASS, Galileo, and Beidou; as well as the various regional space-based augmentations systems.  The efforts of Professor Akos and his group helped: propel the low-cost technology enables GPS/GNSS into the mobile phone, pioneer remote sensing receiver architectures using GPS/GNSS signals, provide integrity and robustness

The Aerospace Engineering Sciences department at the University of Colorado offered detailed instructional courses on the operation of satellite navigation.

Despite the commoditization of the GPS/GNSS receiver in the commercial marketplace, the prevalence and importance this technology cannot be understated.  Current research effort are focused on: (a) ensuring robust, continuous, and high integrity operation for all users of GPS/GNSS across all platforms;  (b) unique GPS/GNSS receiver architectures for specialized applications including space operation and remote sensing;  (c) the use of GPS/GNSS for autonomous vehicles.