ADS-B is an air traffic surveillance technology that relies on aircraft broadcasting their identity, a precise Global Positioning System (GPS) position and other information derived from on-board systems. The data is broadcast every half a second from the aircraft, and is being used by Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) to identify and separate aircraft in real time.
ATS surveillance service 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. the oceans, polar regions, mountainous regions, jungles, deserts). Space-based ADS-B significantly improves Air Traffic Management (ATM) safety, efficiency, predictability and capacity, while reducing overall infrastructure costs.