An industry consortium is to launch a range global satellite-based surveillance services for the aviation market ANSPs by 2027.
Aerospace and defence company Thales, space-to-cloud data and analytics company Spire Global, and ANSP joint venture company European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP) are to launch the service, which will use a constellation of over 100 satellites collecting Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) messages broadcast from aircraft and transmitting the data back to Earth.
Spire will develop the space segment, including system design, building the satellites and payloads, ground control and data collection. Thales is to provision the ground ATM system and the service supervision infrastructure.
ESSP will manage the certification and the delivery of the service for air traffic surveillance purposes and perform H24 operation and supervision, ensuring compliance with real-time, safety-critical requirements imposed to ATC.
Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio will also work to identify and implement possible synergies that could bring further added value in terms of key-enabling technologies, secured network optimization and sustainable operations and services.
Philip Plantholt, general manager of aviation at Spire said: “The birth of a satellite constellation fully dedicated to serving the demanding needs of air traffic management, air domain awareness and national security is a groundbreaking development for the aviation industry
“Through our strategic partnership with Thales and ESSP, we are poised to offer the first real alternative to the aging systems that exist today and embark on a journey towards even more advanced space-based solutions for aviation in the years to come.”
Christian Rivierre, vice president of airspace mobility solutions, Thales said: “This innovative satellite-based surveillance service will accelerate the implementation of our new ‘Air Traffic Control as a service’ offering.
“It will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the skies, serving as a vital facilitator for trajectory-based operations and laying the foundation for a safer, more environmentally friendly, and cost-efficient ATM system. Additionally, this new solution will also draw on the competences of Thales Alenia Space satellite-based surveillance systems.”
Charlotte Neyret, chief executive officer of ESSP, said: “Taking the best of three worlds: Space Systems, ATC Systems and ATC Service Provision, is a game-changer for the aviation industry, providing the most valuable solution based on advanced new technologies. Our service is developed driven by users’ needs and expectations to face new service-levels, the challenge of ATC digitization and to support greener and more sustainable air travel.
“We will provide the full range of ESSP's Space-based CNS expertise to implement and to operate mission-critical services to ensure the highest quality of service to all aviation stakeholders”.
The new end-to-end system will meet requirements covering latency, coverage and revisit standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and aviation authorities for air traffic surveillance.
The constellation's satellites are designed to be replenished every five years, ensuring the system offers the latest and most advanced technology. This evolutionary roadmap approach ensures that end users' operational needs are consistently met with the latest advancements.
In parallel to building the initial constellation, the companies will design and demonstrate a system that goes beyond ADS-B to geolocate the position of aircraft in real time, without relying on GNSS/GPS satellites. The system will provide a resilient solution for tracking aircraft that cannot be impacted by vulnerabilities with GNSS/GPS such as interference or outages.