Industry Addendum
Aireon achieves sixth successful ADS-B launch
June 1st 2018
Aireon, which has recently added UK air services provider, NATS, as an investor, announced the sixth successful deployment of its space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) payload. Read More » It was hosted by the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation.
The May 22 launch from Vandenburg Air Force Base in California took the number of Aireon payloads in orbit to 55. Two more launches of 10 satellites each will conclude the program. After the Aireon system goes live later this year, operational trials are scheduled to commence over the North Atlantic in early 2019.
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On May 16, Aireon officially welcomed NATS as an investor. The British Air Navigation Services Provider (ANSP) joins NAV Canada, Navair Denmark, Enav Italy, the Irish Aviation Authority and Iridium Communications in bringing space-based global tracking to airlines.
“This has been an unbelievable two weeks for Aireon,” Aireon CEO, Don Thoma, said. “The addition of NATS to our ownership group is an undeniably significant show of the importance Aireon is bringing to the industry, especially as they [NATS} were among the first to become a customer even before a single Iridium NEXT satellite had been launched.
“Adding another successful launch on top of that makes this a week that will be forever remembered in the history of Aireon.”
When completed the Aireon system will provide real time air traffic surveillance across the globe for aircraft equipped with ADS-B – the next generation surveillance technology that supercedes radar in capability.
The Aireon system places network grade ADS-B receivers on each NEXT Iridium satellite. The space-based system receives broadcast aircraft data and information and transmits it to air traffic controllers or airlines in seconds.
The Iridium NEXT satellite constellation, when fully operational, will have 66 low-orbit cross-linked satellites that will blanket the earth with communications coverage. Eighty one Iridium NEXT satellites are being built. All of them will be equipped with the Aireon payload.
Separately, Iridium has announced GoGo is its latest value added manufacturer for its Certus aviation terminals for business aviation. Under the agreement, GoGo will be the first company to design and manufacture the terminals as well as provide the new L-band broadband service for business aviation.
