BAE Systems has built a system that works to help military aircraft pilots obtain situational awareness of general air traffic through satellite technology. The Web Enabled Data Links platform is designed to collect information on commercial aircraft to guide aviator decision-making during flights, the company said Wednesday. WEnDL can access data via automatic dependent …
Read More »Matt Desch: Iridium Aims to Complete ‘NEXT’ Satellite Network for Aireon’s Aircraft Tracking Service
Iridium Communications CEO Matt Desch said the company expects to complete the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation this year to help Aireon meet its timeline for delivery of aircraft monitoring service through the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system, NASASpaceflight.com reported Friday. “The reason why that’s important isn’t for any services that we have today, it’s for …
Read More »Airbus, Aireon Form Aircraft Surveillance Partnership; Iridium’s Matt Desch Comments
Airbus’ defense and space business has partnered with Iridium Communications’ subsidiary, Aireon, and introduced an airspace analytics platform at the Farnborough Airshow. Aireon said Thursday it will deliver space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast data to Airbus’ recently launched analytics tool – AirSense – to facilitate real-time aircraft tracking, streamline airspace utilization and …
Read More »SpaceX Launches 6th Batch of Iridium NEXT Satellites, Aireon Payloads; Matt Desch Comments
Hawthorne, Calif.-based firm SpaceX has launched five satellites for Iridium Communications along with two Earth observation spacecraft from NASA and the German Research Center for Geosciences as part of a ride-share agreement. Iridium said Tuesday the launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base is the sixth out of eight Iridium NEXT …
Read More »NATS Invests in Air Traffic Surveillance Tech Firm Aireon
U.K.-based air traffic control services provider NATS has made a $69 million equity investment in Aireon in order to help speed up the development of technologies for aviation surveillance. NATS said Wednesday its decision to buy a 10 percent equity stake in Aireon comes as the latter prepares to offer …
Read More »Sagetech to Provide Transponder for NASA’s UAS Safety Research Project
NASA has selected Sagetech to provide a transponder technology in support of the agency’s initiative to explore detect-and-avoid methods to ensure safety of unmanned aircraft system operations in national airspace. Sagetech said Monday it will provide the company’s MXS transponder for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the National Airspace System Project …
Read More »Sixth Batch of Iridium NEXT Satellites Arrives at SpaceX Site in VAFB
Five Iridium NEXT satellites that are scheduled for launch on May 19 have arrived at SpaceX’s launch site in Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to go through pre-launch processing procedures. Iridium Communications said Wednesday each satellite will be mated in the dispenser, fueled, stacked on the SpaceX Falcon 9 …
Read More »Iridium Satellites Host Aireon’s Space-Based Air Traffic Surveillance Tech
Iridium Communications‘ fifth set of NEXT satellites that launched Friday includes Aireon-built global air traffic surveillance technology payloads. Aireon said Friday its Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system is designed to provide aircraft tracking coverage with a 15-minute update interval and help airlines test aircraft tracking systems via space-based ADS-B. The International Civil Aviation …
Read More »4th Iridium NEXT Satellite Batch Enters Pre-Launch Processing Phase; Matt Desch Comments
SpaceX has begun processing the fourth batch of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites at its west coast launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in preparation for the Dec. 22 launch aboard a pre-flown Falcon 9 rocket as part of its launch campaign with Iridium Communications. Iridium said Tuesday the …
Read More »Iridium Sets Sept. 30 Launch Date for 3rd ‘NEXT’ Satellite Batch
Iridium Communications plans to launch the third batch of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites on Sept. 30 aboard a SpaceX-built Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The scheduled launch would bring the total number of Iridium NEXT satellites in space to 30 as part of a potential $3 billion program to replace an existing constellation …
Read More »Matt Desch: Iridium ‘NEXT’ Satellite Constellation Supports FAA NextGen Program Through Aircraft Tracking
Iridium Communications CEO Matt Desch has said the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation works to help track the location of commercial aircraft across trans-oceanic routes in support of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Next Generation Air Transportation System program, NASASpaceflight.com reported Friday. Desch said the company has equipped its Iridium NEXT satellites with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast receivers designed …
Read More »Air Force Taps Raytheon to Provide Surveillance Tech for T-38, A-10 Planes
Raytheon has received a potential six-year, $49 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to integrate a surveillance technology into T-38A/B and A-10 aircraft platforms. The Defense Department said Wednesday the company will provide Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast equipment for T-38A/Bs and A-10s in an effort to help the Air Force comply with a Federal …
Read More »Air Force Seeks Info on Tech Platforms for Radio Identification Program
The U.S. Air Force has launched a new program that seeks to research and develop technologies that will work to demonstrate the geolocation and identification of aerial and surface platforms through reception and display of communications, navigation and identification signals. The service branch said in a FedBizOpps notice published Wednesday the …
Read More »Airbus Names John Kefaliotis as Metron Aviation Subsidiary President; Allan McArtor Comments
John Kefaliotis, formerly Exelis vice president of international strategy and business development, has been appointed as president of Airbus Group‘s air traffic management subsidiary. Airbus said Monday Kefaliotis provides more than 40 years of air traffic management experience in operational air traffic control, government services and systems contracting to support Metron Aviation‘s …
Read More »AeroVironment, SmartC2 to Help NASA Conduct UAS Flight Demo’s Second Phase
AeroVironment, SmartC2 and NASA have forged a partnership to perform a second phase of field tests on the space agency’s unmanned traffic management technology in October. AeroVironment said Thursday researchers will assess the Puma AE’s onboard autopilot three-dimensional geo-fencing functions, backup data link command-and-control and ADS-B integration into NASA’s UTM research platform. SmartC2 will …
Read More »