Iridium Communications has completed assembly of its 75-vehicle Iridium NEXT satellite constellation, which could eventually track every aircraft in the sky. This is expected to vastly improve the current air traffic system, which uses ground-based towers. Each satellite is equipped with automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) receivers, developed by Iridium subsidiary Aireon, which gather real-time data emitted from ADS-B boxes fitted to planes. The data is sent to Aireon's data centre in US, with all relevant data transmitted to air traffic control towers in seconds. The system is expected to go live by spring 2019.
Iridium Communications has completed assembly of its 75-vehicle Iridium NEXT satellite constellation, which could eventually track every aircraft in the sky. This is expected to vastly improve the current air traffic system, which uses ground-based towers. Each satellite is equipped with automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) receivers, developed by Iridium subsidiary Aireon, which gather real-time data emitted from ADS-B boxes fitted to planes. The data is sent to Aireon's data centre in Virginia, with all relevant data transmitted to air traffic control towers in seconds. The system is expected to go live by spring 2019.