In partnership with leading Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) from around the world, like NAV CANADA, ENAV, NATS, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Naviair, as well as Iridium Communications, Aireon is revolutionizing the global aviation industry. Aireon has deployed the first global air traffic surveillance system using a space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B)
network that meets the strict, real-time Air Traffic Service (ATS) surveillance requirements for separation services, anywhere in the world. ADS-B is an air traffic surveillance technology that relies on the aircraft broadcasting their identity, a precise Global Positioning System (GPS) position and other information derived from onboard systems. The data is broadcast every half-second from the aircraft and is used by Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) to identify and separate aircraft in near-real time. ATS surveillance is clearly defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) but, put simply, it’s the ability to reliably, and in near-real-time detect key flight attributes such as position, level and intent. Space-based ADS-B provides full, continuous global air traffic surveillance, whereas before, 70 percent of the world had no access to ATS surveillance information (i.e. This significantly improves Air Traffic Management (ATM) safety, efficiency, predictability and capacity, while reducing overall infrastructure costs. The backbone of Aireon’s technology resides on Iridium constellation of satellites. Eight Iridium launches on Space-X Falcon 9 rockets successfully occurred between January 2017 and January 2019. Iridium’s next generation satellite constellation is delivering exciting new innovations and opportunities, while ensuring continued high performance and reliability, far into the future. Iridium is hosting Aireon’s specially designed receivers on each Iridium satellite, covering 100 percent of the globe. Iridium’s low-latency, 66 cross-linked Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites make it uniquely suited to meet the technical demands of global air traffic surveillance and tracking. Space-based ADS-B bypasses the limitations of ground-based systems and provides an operational, global, space-based air traffic surveillance solution to all aviation stakeholders.
