Galileo MEOSAR RLS Improvement for Better Civil Aviation Security

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - GRICAS (Galileo MEOSAR RLS Improvement for Better Civil Aviation Security)

Reporting period: 2017-11-01 to 2018-04-30

The global objective of the GRICAS Project is to propose and demonstrate innovative and global solutions based on MEOSAR system, using in particular Galileo Return-Link, to improve safety and security of air navigation.
It is an answer to the new ICAO recommendations defined for Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS) to be applicable by 2021. Indeed, GRICAS proposes to experiment and validate a whole set of innovative operational procedures for in-flight activation of COSPAS-SARSAT Search And Rescue (SAR) beacons on-board aircraft taking benefit of the unique Galileo SAR service and of many assets brought by the consortium :
- A strong representation at COSPAS/SARSAT level with active push actions for Second Generation Beacons (SGB) modulation increasing the accuracy of beacon location, with CNES and TAS-F,
- An innovative and accurate MEOLUT, named MEOLUT-Next, developed by TAS-F,
- the aeronautical beacon worldwide leader ELTA, who will develop a Second Generation Beacon (SGB) prototype answering to GRICAS operational concept and to be used for GRICAS demonstrations,
- A strong representation at ICAO, EUROCAE and RTCA level to push for the adoption of the concepts (BEA, DGAC, ASECNA)

All the developed operational concepts will be demonstrated though a set of real-time flight campaigns, in particular, the benefit of using Galileo Return Link Service will be highlighted.

GRICAS Kick-off was held in Prague on 11/02/16.

Work Package 1: Management
TAS ensured the contractual management with GSA through the Quarterly Report delivery and the Progress Meetings. It organized and coordinated the international communication flow between GRICAS consortium members, GRICAS partners and external entities. It ensured the management of the documentation using ECM system.
TAS was also in charge of the organization of the Kick-off and the SDR. It was also deeply involved in the organization of the other meetings of the project: workshops 1 and 2 and CDR and prepared each project review and meeting by providing data package and agenda. TAS is in charge of the technical coordination for the entire project. It asses the trade-offs, compromises and key technical decisions regarding the operational concepts, the content and structures of distress messages, the adaptation of operational concept to demonstration solution design …

Work package 2: Operational concept
Workshop on operational concept definition: GRICAS first workshop took place in CNES, Toulouse, France in March 2016. It gathered all the GRICAS consortium members and all the partners of the project.
The inputs of the workshop were 7 distress scenarios based on the analysis of aircraft accidents in the past 20 years.
The outputs were: Consolidated distress scenarios, needs collected from FMCC and DGAC, the first versions of GRICAS Operational Concept (OCD) and Solution Design Definition (SDD).
Workshop on operational concept consolidation: GRICAS second workshop took place in Barcelona on July 2016. It focused on consolidating the operational concept for the operational ground segment. Participants were: TAS, PILDO, CNES, ELTA, ASECNA, COSPAS/SARSAT secretary, Air Europa, French RCC.
The inputs of the workshop were the preliminary OCD and the SDD 1.
The outputs of the workshop were the Final OCD and the SDD 2 and an executive summary delivered to the workshop participants and aeronautical authorities: ICAO, EUROCAE, RTCA …
Since September 2016, OCD and SDD have been updated following COSPAS/SARSAT JC and will be delivered to GSA for information beginning of 2017.

Work package 3: Design
Based on the outputs of the two workshops TAS defined the solution design.
The SDD was released after the second workshop in its final version in August after also internal iterations with other sub-work packages for the global solution design definition.
ELTA designed the SAR Beacon answering to GRICAS OCD and in line with GRICAS SDD. The detailed interfaces with the GNSS receiver, the ODP and the MEOLUT have been defined.
TAS designed the MEOLUT for GRICAS use cases based on the OCD and the SDD of the global system. The software modifications needed as been identified: localization of fast moving beacon, SGB modulation, multi-burst localization …
PILDO defined the evolution of PLATERO required for GRICAS and decided to develop the ODP (On-board Demonstration Platform) to answer to those requirements.
PILDO took part to the definition of the interfaces between the ELT and the ODP both on physical and functional aspects.
STMicro designed the GNSS receiver for GRICAS ELT-DT based on SDD requirements. The interfaces with the ELT have been defined in collaboration with ELTA.
CNES defined the use cases of the RLM and the RLS required by GRICAS based on the Solution Design.
CNES is working with EC and GSA to prepare the RL for the experimentation and demonstrations.

Work package 4: Development
STMicro delivered the final GNSS receiver chipset to ELTA for integration in GRICAS ELT-DT end of November 2016.
ELTA developed the prototype of the GRICAS ELT-DT during summer and autumn 2016. Transmission tests take place since September 2016.
ELTA is now integrating the last GNSS chipset delivered by STMicro and doing the performance assessment tests.
TAS worked on the development and adaptation of the MEOLUT-Next to GRICAS needs. The in-flight localization functions are under development as well as the trajectory calculation function.
First localization of SGB beacon tests has been performed with ELTA during the past 4 months.
The ODP development is finished since end of November 2016. A GNSS receiver has been interfaced with the platform. Beacon trigger capability has been successfully implemented and tested.
ELTA, PILDO, STMicro and TAS performed an integration of the demonstrator and realized preliminary integration tests the 15/11/2016: activation of the beacon by the ODP, transmission of a SAR message, reception by the MEOLUT and finally cancellation of the alert.

Work package 5: Test case coordination
PILDO is in charge of the demonstrations coordination and is now holding regular meetings with ACSB, ASECNA, and Airbus with the help of TAS.
PILDO and TAS visited Sabadell Aeroclub last July to initiate the organization of Barcelona in-flight demonstrations. They worked on the Test Case Plan for Barcelona demonstrations during autumn 2016. A draft delivery of the document shall occur before end of 2016. The demonstration is planned for beginning of April 2017; the date will be confirmed in February 2017 under TAS recommendations regarding Galileo satellites availability.
PILDO and TAS initiated discussions with ASECNA regarding the organization on GRICAS in-flight demonstrations in Dakar on June 2017.
Discussions have been initiated with Airbus to perform in-flight demonstrations in Toulouse. The GRICAS consortium visited the Airbus A380 MSN4 test aircraft on November 2016. It was the occasion to present the project, its objectives and outputs and to analyse how the demonstration equipment could be installed inside the Airbus test airplane.

Work package 6: Recommendations and dissemination
GRICAS website is operational since August 2016: http://www.gricas-gsa-project.eu. .
A flyer has been published.
GRICAS consortium was represented at all the aeronautical and satellite navigation events in 2016 and took part to all the working groups activities addressing ELT triggered in flight.

Not applicable

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - GRICAS (Galileo MEOSAR RLS Improvement for Better Civil Aviation Security)

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