NEWS & UPDATES

NATCA Insider on Space-Based ADS-B

The Surveillance Broadcast Services (SBS) Article 48 work group, including NATCA SBS representatives, had a unique opportunity to tour the Orbital Sciences, Iridium, and Space‐X facilities directly involved in the development, testing, and implementation of the Aireon Space-Based Automatic Dependent Surveillance‐Broadcast (ADS-B) network. Scheduled for completion in 2018, the Iridium NEXT network will include 11 satellites plus one in-orbit spare satellite in each of the six orbital planes in which satellites operate. Additionally, nine spare ground satellites will be available for use, bringing the total number of satellites in production…

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Reduced Separation over North Atlantic is Precursor to Aireon

But even though implementation of RLat is expected to add capacity and provide considerable improvements to efficiency,  a further reduction in separation will be achieved through space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B), which the Aireon project will bring in 2018. A joint venture among Iridium Communications, NAV CANADA and European ANSPs – Navair, Enav and IAA in Ireland – Aireon has long been billed as a way for airlines to save billions of dollars in fuel costs because it will facilitate more direct air routes and optimal climbs, as well…

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NAV CANADA Applauds International Agreement on Frequency Allocation Allowing for Global Tracking and Air Traffic Surveillance

NAV CANADA commends the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for its decision to adopt a primary allocation of the 1090MHz frequency band for the reception by satellite of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signals. The amendment to the Radio Regulations was approved on November 11 during the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15), in Geneva, Switzerland. The 1090MHz frequency was already protected for aircraft to ground-based communications. The ITU decision expands the protection of that frequency to include aircraft to satellite, thus enabling space-based ADS-B for global flight tracking and air traffic surveillance. Read Full…

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Radio Spectrum Win for Global Flight Tracking

Agreement has been reached at the World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva on the allocation of radiofrequency spectrum for global flight tracking in civil aviation. The frequency band 1087.7-1092.3 MHz has been allocated to the aeronautical mobile-satellite service (Earth-to-space) for reception by space stations of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) emissions from aircraft transmitters. Read Full Article

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