VISTA Vision of Integration Satellite Technologies into Aviation

1
VISTAVision of Integration Satellite
Technologies into Aviation

• Presentation to ICAO ACP WG-C08
• Munich, September 20th to 24th
• Dr. Jens Federhen

2
Introduction

• 0

3
ESA Study ATM Systems for 2020The expected
role of satellites

• 250K, 6 months
• Very long time horizon
• Assume that a paradigm shift in ATM will have
  taken place by 2020
• Assumption that specifications valid or under
  development today will no longer applicable
• Holistic (systemic) approach
• Consider operational, technical, economical, and
  political issues
• Consider not only space, but also terrestrial and
  airborne world
• Consider C, N, and S
• Integrated approach
• Include all stakeholders concerned (Airlines,
  Air Traffic Service Providers, Manufacturing
  industry, Research bodies others Airports,
  Standardisation bodies, Legal institutions, ...)

• Consequences
• Free-minded environment
• High level considerations only, i.e. broad but
  not detailed
• High degree of uncertainty

• To be considered when using the word vision

• Nevertheless
• Long time period required for development,
  validation and deployment
• Now is an opportunity not to miss for injecting
  views (because of e.g. Single European Sky,
  SESAME etc.)

4
Consortium
Eurocontrol Advisor
European Space Agency Customer
Air Traffic Alliance
EADS Astrium Co-Prime Provide Space Know-How
Thales ATM Co-Prime Provide ATM/CNS Know How
Alcatel Space SDLS Review
DLR Provide Research Views
Lufthansa Cargo Provide Airlines Views
DFS Provide ATSP Views
5
Study logic

• Broad Study Topic, Need to include
  representatives of various stakeholder groups
• Short duration, Low budget
• Study centred around a series of workshops with
  all experts around one table

03/04 MAR 04
11 SEP 03
17/18 NOV 03
10/11 DEC 03
Role of satellites in ATM systems for 2020
WS 3
KOM
WS 1
WS 2
Task 1 ATM Methodology Systems Baseline until
2012
ATM 2000-2012
Task 2 Potential contributions of Space Systems
ATM 2012-2020
Trade-Offs,Integr. Solutions, Standards Reqs.
Task 3 Vision of an ATM System for 2020
Vision scenario skeletons
Transition schemes, Impact assessment
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Task 1

• 1

• ATM Methodology Systems Baseline until 2012

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Task 2

• 2

• Potential contributions of Space Systems

8
Task 2

• 2a

• Long-term developments in space systems for ATM

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Long-term developments in space systems for ATM
Typical design variables
Issues
Messages

• Imperatives
• Cheaper, smaller, lighter,
• Limit number of antennas on aircraft
• Avionics-specific design issues
• Certifiability Standardisation
• Integration with other aircraft systems

Aircraft avionics (AES)

• Avionics roadmap is dependent on
• Availability of in orbit satellites and their
  services
• Assessment of airlines and business jet operators
  wanting those services
• AES drives satellite system design!

• GEO vs. Non-GEO

Satellite orbits constellations

• No ideal solution
• GEO shortcomings propagation delay (conceivable
  for voice, thus need for extra training danger
  of long waiting times for data services, e.g. if
  protocol requires handshake), echo, no coverage
  on polar caps
• NGSO shortcomings very few piggyback options,
  need for many satellites, poor commercial
  performance of existing satcom constellations,
  difficulties to realise regional solutions

• Most critical User link
• Bandwidth
• Rain attenuation
• Global accessibility (Radio Regulations)
• Technology maturity

Frequencies

• Very difficult regulatory situation!
• Only bands lt10MHz suitable if service is to be
  used below clouds
• HF/VHF/UHF (lt1GHz) either technically not suited
  or not accessible
• L (1-2GHz) well suited but high density of other
  services
• S (2-4GHz) very similar to L band but little
  spectrum available for aero satcom
• C (4-6GHz) MLS band
• X (6-10GHz) blocked by military

• Satellite antenna
• Digital on-board processor

Satellite payload

• Technologies are mature
• No ATM-specific modifications needed
• ATM will simply benefit from improvements that
  happen steadily

Satellite platform
Launch considerations
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Impact of mobility requirement on link performance

• Mobility requirement
• Aircraft cannot stop for data transmission
• Manoeuvrability of aircraft (banking) must be
  maintained without interrupting satellite link
• Low antenna gain cannot simply be compensated by
  increased RF power or lower receiver system noise
  temperatures
• High-gain tracking antenna
• Antennas with mechanical pointing mechanisms are
  large and expensive
• Electrical phase array antennas need more RD to
  lower prices
• Mobility has impact on network, too (e.g.
  handover)

Mobility requirement costs 30dBi in link margin
(factor 1000 in power)!
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Availability issues

• ATM is particularly sensitive to satellite
  availability
• Single most important issue when considering
  SatCom for ATM
• A defective satellite in orbit can only be
  replaced, not repaired.
• Satellites are built according to very demanding
  standards
• Experience of the past 20 years
• If the satellite begins its operational life
  satisfactorily it will continue operating
  satisfactorily for years with none or few service
  outages.
• Redundancy scenarios
• No spare satellite
• Ground spare satellite
• Cold in-orbit spare satellite
• Hot in-orbit spare satellite

Trade-off between cost and dependence on the
satellite system
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Cabin communications

• Assumption By 2020, cabin communications systems
  can be made sufficiently reliable to be used for
  ATM communications
• physically robust lower network link layers
• operational means (firewalls, prioritisation)
• Pro
• Large bandwidth
• No additional antenna on-board the aircraft
• Cost paid by passengers
• Contra
• Shared business case (Example Iridium)
• Remaining safety security concerns (however
  Current VHF-AM comms are not secure at all)
• Not all aircraft equipped with passenger comms
  Cargo aircraft, small aircraft
• If Ku-Band not working in all weather
  conditions
• Proprietary standards

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Inmarsat History apparent trends

• Inmarsat 1 (late 1970s)
• Low-gain antenna
• Transparent transponders
• Power ca. 1kW
• Service outages due to platform

• Inmarsat 2 (1980s)
• Major advances in platform (1st Eurostar)
• Phased array antenna (diameter 1m)
• Still backup for Inmarsat 3

• Inmarsat 3 (1990s)
• Major advances in payload
• 8 spot beams
• Higher data rates

• Inmarsat 4 (from 2006)
• 200 spot beams
• Digital processor
• High-gain antenna (reflector diameter 9m)

• Higher antenna gain, higher satellite power level
• Physical limit for satellite antenna diameter
  about 30 m
• More complex digital processors
• Regenerative payload?
• On-board re-modulation of signals prior to onward
  transmission
• Additional 3 dB on link budget
• Increased power and added complexity
• Introduction of data (instead of voice) services

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Task 2

• 2b

• Long-term developments in ATM

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Procedure
ATM Functional Blocks )
Trends
Potential Contribution of Space Technologies
More integration More flexibility More dynamism
Airspace Organisation

• Flexible and dynamic airspace organisation
  require additional communication
• Integration requires uniformity of CNS
  infrastructure
• Satellite technologies appear well-suited for
  en-route traffic, particularly in oceanic and
  remote areas but possibly in high-density
  airspace, too
• Terrestrial technologies suggested around airports

Emphasis on capacity Gate to Gate More
collaboration 4D Trajectories
Demand Capacity Mgmt.

• Strategic rather than tactical (i.e. before
  rather than during the flight)
• gt No direct impact on satellite technologies
  (except possibly FSS for ground-ground)
• Interface to traffic management (4D trajectory
  negotiation)

More automation More collaboration 4D
Trajectories ADS

• Trajectory negotiation, ADS, and clearances
  require a data link
• Satellite technologies appear well-suited for
  en-route traffic, particularly in oceanic and
  remote areas but possibly in high-density
  airspace, too
• Terrestrial technologies suggested around airports

Traffic Mgmt.
Reduced separation minima Re-Distribution of
responsibilities Increased automation Air/air
communications
Separation Mgmt.

• Greater navigation accuracy enabled through
  satellite navigation
• Highly reliable air/air communications not so
  well suited for satellite(better line-of-sight
  communications)
• Ground-to-air broadcast services to assist
  separation (e.g. TIS-B) are very well suited for
  satellite

Increase capacity Integration with air transport
network Collaborative processes All weather
capabilities Better guidance and control
Airport Throughput

• Augmented (GBAS) satellite navigation
• Most changes on and around airports will not be
  enabled through satellite technologies
• Terrestrial communications means appear better
  suited (satellite may be backup)
• Airport should not be the driver for satellite
  systems engineering

More integration (SWIM) More collaboration Better
data

• Possibility of new information broadcasting
  services (traffic situation, NOTAMS, weather, )
• Common distributed databases updated and
  synchronised by fixed satellite systems in some
  regions of the world

Information Mgmt.
) Source Eurocontrol/AECMA ATM Master Plan
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Task 3

• 3

• Vision skeletons of a satellite-enhanced ATM
  System for 2020

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ATM stakeholders in 2020

• Today's stakeholder groups likely to still exist
  in 2020, yet some will dramatically change the
  way they operate
• Trend towards application of commercial rules,
  corporatisation, privatisation
• Trend towards internationalisation

• Users
• Airlines (passengers cargo)
• Military aviation
• Business aviation
• General aviation
• Service providers
• ANSPs / ATC service providers
• C, N S Infrastructure operators
• Airports
• Legal bodies
• Intergovernmental organisations
• National legislation
• National authorities
• Standardisation bodies

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ATM/CNS infrastructure for 2020

• Will still comprise C, N, and S
• Dependent surveillance is using C N
• Primary surveillance still required
  (infrastructure possibly thinned out)
• Will still comprise various C/N/S systems
• Interoperability would have positive effect on
  safety, too
• Some systems may be reliable enough to be sole
  means (depends on RCP, RNP, RSP, RTSP)
• Choice of primary means dependent on airspace
  type and traffic situation
• For political reasons, various world regions will
  not accept to be dependent on others
• Technically, no system is equally suited for
  different airspaces traffic patterns

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Communications (1)

• Various candidate communications media
• VHF (today sole comms means)
• SatCom
• Mode S
• Possibly others, but only as requested by users
  (airlines)
• No HF any more?
• Polar caps
• Seamless communications
• Transparent automatic choice of
• Communications media
• Frequency
• Pilot and controller should not perceive any
  difference between the various communications
  means

ATN-Bild
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Communications (2)

• Work Share between terrestrial and satellite
  communications
• SatCom primary means for basic load air/ground
  communications
• Oceanic and remote airspace
• VHF air/air as backup instead of HF ?
• En-route
• Terrestrial primary means for air/ground
  communications in hot spots (TMA)
• Less range and faster access to communication
  required
• Terrestrial (line-of-sight) primary means for
  air/air communications
• Possibly not the same conclusion for voice and
  data link

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Communications (3)

• Voice will remain, but used less often than today
• Should voice be provided over satellite?
• Why not?
• If satellite is there, it could provide a
  (digital) voice service, too
• Should voice service comprise party line feature?
• Technically feasible, user community needs to
  formulate the requirement

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Commercial trade-offs

• Aviation must ensure reasonable data traffic
  volume for SatCom to reach critical mass and
  ensure commercial viability.
• SatCom system must ensure that operational
  benefits of satellite technologies must be
  quantifiable and big enough to justify airline
  investments in SatCom.
• Further incentives for introduction of satellite
  services?

Strict safety requirements
Niche market particularities
High cost pressure
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Difficulty of open standard for ATM SatCom

• Open standard ensures
• Interoperability
• Competition amongst service providers and
  hardware manufacturers
• Choice and attractive prices to end customers
• Particularities of ATM SatCom market
• Small
• Demanding (technically as well as commercially)

Big differences amongst current SatCom systems
!
choice?
choice
choice
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Transition issues

• 4

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Conclusions

• 5

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Will satellites play a role in ATM systemsfor
2020 and beyond?

• Yes!
• Navigation No doubts that GNSS will be used
• Communications Some important questions still
  open, but
• New operational concepts will require additional
  (data) communications
• Satellites are particularly well-suited for those
  concepts requiring
• Global seamless coverage
• Additional bandwidth
• Broadcast capabilities
• Surveillance ADS will create additional
  communications demand
• Well-balanced integration of terrestrial and
  satellite technologies is needed
• Must make sense to ATM stakeholders as well as
  satellite community

More work is needed (1) define demand and (2)
prepare the grounds(systems engineering,
standardisation, regulation, commercial )
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What needs to happen next?

• Space community to participate in current and
  future initiatives to define the ATM system for
  2020
• Find most suitable business model
• Find optimum technical solution
• Secure spectrum
• Advance standardisation
• Demonstrate satellite capabilities (e.g.
  in-flight trials)

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Thank you for your attention!

• Any Questions?
• Dr.-Ing. Jens Federhen
• Marketing Manager
• Air Traffic Alliance
• c/o EADS Astrium GmbH
• D-81663 München
• Tel 49 (0) 89 / 607 - 29476
• Fax 49 (0) 89 / 607 - 21023
• Mobile 49 (0) 175 / 57 38 678
• E-Mail jens.federhen_at_airtraffic-alliance.com
• jens.federhen_at_astrium.eads.net