VOICE - Reduced separations and improved efficiency based on Vhf cOmmunICations over LEO satEllites

Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) systems are key in the provision of safe and efficient traffic management for air traffic. These systems have traditionally been ground-based and generally installed on mountain tops or at airports. Performance of these ground-based systems is limited by topography and availability of land.

“New Space” and its two pillars (increasing availability and competition in the launch market increasing number of Low Earth Orbit satellites) is dropping the price of new constellations opening up for new and more cost efficient solutions in the provision of new services models. This is the case for global and seamless CNS services to be used in ATM.

With requirements for Air Traffic to increase capacity and safety in the years to come, new solutions need to be deployed to ensure the correct management of Air traffic. The use of space-based infrastructure is a necessary step towards the provision of Air Traffic Services in remote areas or big sectors where they are not available today due to geographical constrains of terrestrial based systems. In this sense solutions towards the improvement of efficiency, safety and capacity of aviation, where Reduced Minima Separations in remote Airspace based on Satellite VHF Voice and Data Communications systems propose the answer. Other satellite-based technologies cannot provide a complete and integrated solution in terms of performances necessary to reduce separation.

The objective of VLD2 - VOICE was to demonstrate that with the use of Satellite based VHF systems providing Voice and Datalink ATS traffic in remote airspace can be handled as in a continental, and current separation can be reduced non compromising safety. In addition we performed some cross border operations between adjacent FIR belonging to different countries. Demonstration covered operations in CANARIAS and SAL FIRs where ATCOs communicating in real time with Aircrafts at distances bigger than 1500km.