Second Generation Beacon for GALILEO/EGNOS EGNSS Search And Rescue applications

Project Information

HELIOS

Grant agreement ID: 687554

DOI

10.3030/687554

Project closed

EC signature date 29 February 2016

Start date 1 March 2016

End date 31 December 2020

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Space

Total cost

€ 4 869 656,25

EU contribution

€ 3 471 628,50

Coordinated by

OROLIA SAS
France

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - HELIOS (Second Generation Beacon for GALILEO/EGNOS EGNSS Search And Rescue applications)

Reporting period: 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Save Lives In The Air, At Sea And On Land

The HELIOS project aims at providing a new range of Beacons and associated antennas (commercialized on 2019) designed to operate with the full capability of the new Meosar Cospas-Sarsat (C/S) International Programme (a satellite-based Search And Rescue (SAR) distress alert detection and information distribution system), embedded in the Navigation Satellite Systems as GALILEO.
The Search & Rescue community is at a turn of its history. New satellite systems develop the MEOSAR constellation of Cospas-Sarsat system, EGNOS improves significantly the performance of localization introducing new capabilities and new operations impossible before, GALILEO unique differentiation with the RLS added to the performance of the system will contribute to save more lives at sea and on land. In the Air the aircraft disappearances of the AFF447 and MH370 require new solutions by the aggregation of the knowledge coming from different technologies brought together in new systems.
The performance of the GALILEO constellation and EGNOS system will allow superior service for SAR community resulting in more lives saved. Products developed within the HELIOS project will provide the market the new technology and innovations expected by the community. From this technology, mature products will be delivered in accordance with the specific applications requirements, fully installable and usable by the key end-users.
Indeed, all the new requirements, which create a huge gap between actual and new beacons in terms of performances, interfaces and functionalities to the persons in distress, require developing new technologies and products in accordance with new standards (e.g. ICAO GADSS and Annex 6 regulation) with:
- Cospas-Sarsat devices with the use of encoded compatible GALILEO GNSS position in products;
- Use of Return Link Service in products
- GNSS independent source should stay as a prime target for RLS and Position;
- Ensure compatibility with MEOSAR Environment with approved FGB beacons with new features (MEOSAR 1G);
Additionally, the Helios project aims at developing research activities to supply live Second-Generation Beacon demonstrators including RLS capabilities, to also support accredited Test Lab development and system development & validation. Another demonstration is planned with the development of an Aviation Satcom Recorder ELT in order to demonstrate that both distress signal and flight data parameters can be broadcasted by one system.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The work performed from the beginning of the project until the end of the first period lead to the definition, first steps of products developments and preliminary testing of:
• Work on a Beacon Hardware and Firmware Platform able to meet SGB Specifications, including Return Link capability;
• Work on the definition and feasibility of the Satcom Recorder, including an Aviation Emergency Locator Transmitter, associated to an high speed aircraft fuselage antenna
• Work on the definition and development of the Maritime Emergency Positioning Indication Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
• Work on the definition and development of the Maritime Emergency Positioning Indication Radio Beacon (EPIRB)

The work performed during the second period lead to the design of the technologies and products with several product definition requirements revisions, testing and approval certification processes (when applicable), for all the expected results as follows:
For approved products:
• One Aviation Distress Tracking Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT(DT)): Designed and in Verification
• One high speed aircraft fuselage antenna for Distress Tracking: Designed and in Verification
• One Maritime Emergency Positioning Indication Radio Beacon range (EPIRB with RLS): Designed, Verified and in Validation
• One Maritime and Land applications Personal Locator Beacon range (PLB with RLS): Designed, Verified, Validated, Submitted for approvals to Authorities

Combined for Aviation with the development of the White Supplementary Type Certificate for the retrofit market and upgrades of aircraft configurations.

Non-approved products for technology demonstrations:
• SGB Beacon demonstrator design and testing
• The Emergency Locator Transmitter able to meet future Remote Command via RLS (ELT(DT) Remote Activation capable beacon): Designed and verified
• One Satcom Recorder ELT Hardware platform and aircraft fuselage antenna to be able to broadcast aircraft flight data parameters, combined with distress alerts: Designed and verified

The Consortium worked, in conflict with the Covid-19 pandemic, during the third and last period on:
- The completion of the EPIRB COSPAS-SARSAT Type Approval process
- The completion of the Industrialization process implementation and validation of the PLB Fast Find Return Link
- The additional Design activities and Lab testing of the EL(DT) system after a new revision of the D1.1 document.
- The dissemination activities for Aviation and Maritime products introduction
- SGB performances: demonstrated and reassessed with the available SG System maturity in Europe.
- ELT(DT) Transmitter and Fuselage Antenna in an aircraft for Flight Tests and System validation.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

HELIOS project still continued thanks to adjusted work plans defined during 2018 and 2019 to meet moving Market requirements.

The Helios project, as defined now, has developed Products compatible with the SAR/Galileo services and in accordance with latest end-users’ requirements. The products and demonstrators developed within HELIOS provides innovations moving the state of the art to:
• The access for the Beacon Users to the Galileo Navigation signals in Aviation, Maritime and Land
• The access to the Galileo Return Link Service by the user in Maritime, Land and Aviation sectors (PLBs and EPIRBs)
• An aviation device called ELT Distress Tracking, able to be triggered also in flight, in addition to current state of the art which is able to be triggered only upon a crash, associated to a new compatible single fuselage antenna able to provide ELT, GNSS and IRIDIUM signals
• To send both an alert signal and flight data parameters over the air in multiple channels thanks to a Satcom Recorder platform and its associated fuselage antenna.

To define new standards and prepared new SAR/Galileo Services like the Remote Command

As initially defined in the Helios project, the social impacts are mainly based on two key factors:
• The user in distress will know that their alert has been detected and located thanks to the Galileo Return Link Service in Maritime, Aviation and Land environments.
• The possibility to get a localization of an aircraft in distress in flight and in ground, which will aid the SAR Forces to reduce the uncertainty of the position and to assist Bureau of Investigations to find rapidly the wreckages and Data Recorders.

Thanks to these innovations, the Business of the industry within the Consortium will benefit them directly in a worldwide market.

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