Enlarge (credit: European Space Agency)
The European Space Agency is trialling the use of a new always-on satellite-based system in an effort to modernise Europe’s, and thenceforth the world’s air traffic control systems.
Currently, depending on the territory and the aircraft, air traffic control uses a mix of radar, semi-regular location pings from the aircraft (ADS-B), and good ol’ human-to-human chatter. This data is pumped into a computer system that calculates a path that each aircraft must follow to avoid collisions, obey any air space restrictions, and hopefully use as little fuel as possible.
Airbus, Inmarsat, ESA, and various other aerospace partners believe that an advanced satellite-based system could allow for a higher density of aircraft in the skies, and more efficient flight paths. Thus, Inmarsat and ESA announced today that it has begun testing the Iris Precursor, which provides a secure high-capacity data link between planes and satellites, and between satellites and ground control.
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Source: Ars Technica – ESA and Inmarsat deploy real-time “4D” air traffic control system