The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Aireon recently announced the successful test flight of the space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology.
Aireon said the ADS-B technology collected data to be used as part of a larger initiative aimed at exploring the system’s capabilities from low-earth orbit.
Using the FAA’s specially equipped Bombardier jet, called the N47, complete with three Aireon payloads to receive data, a total of 2,452 ADS-B messages were received and decoded through the fight, providing a comparable data set to that of terrestrial ADS-B stations.
“A flight test coordinated with the FAA was the ultimate validation accomplishment for the Aireon system to date and is a textbook example of how a public-private partnership can thrive,” said Aireon’s Chief Technology Officer Vinny Capezzuto. “It is nearly impossible to have a higher fidelity test without the experts at the FAA.”
The test was coordinated through the FAA’s NextGen program and involved trials of 125 watt top- and bottom-mounted antennas affixed to the aircraft.
Aireon said its ADS-B technology would be operational in 2018, shortly after the completion of Iridium NEXT satellite constellation, which will host the Aireon ADS-B receivers. Once the system begins its operation, it will provide air navigation service providers with global air traffic surveillance and real-time flight tracking for airlines.