Making Europe's skies safer
The European Space Agency (ESA) and a consortium of European companies led by Alcatel are launching a 4.5 million euro satellite project to increase safety communications in our overcrowded skies. The Satellite Data Link System (SDLS) is a satellite-based radio communication system, which will complement existing systems, and has already proved itself as reliable and viable. It is currently undergoing further development, with practical demonstrations planned for the second half of 2002. First demonstrations will be performed with prototype aircraft equipment on the ground. During a second phase, demonstrations will be extended to airborne traffic, including commercial airliners. 'Alongside emerging satellite navigation systems, SDLS will contribute to much better accuracy in aircraft position monitoring, allowing greater numbers of aircraft to safely occupy a given segment of airspace at any one time,' said ESA's SDLS project manager, Claude Loisy. It is hoped that SDLS will meet technical communication requirements of future ATM systems, and particularly Air Traffic Services (ATS) applications as currently specified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). In order to be successful, the system will have to meet the rigorous ICAO safety specifications, and must be affordable to the air transport industry.