IRIS: MESSENGER BETWEEN SPACE AND AIRCRAFT COCKPIT, ESA NEW PROGRAMME FOR AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATIONS VIA SATELLITE

摘要

To restructure European airspace and develop the future ATM System, the European Commission has put forward the Single European Sky Regulation, and its associated R&D effort the SESAR Programme. Its work programme foresees the implementation of two new Air/Ground communication links in dense continental airspace: one terrestrial and one satellite-based. As existing satellite systems and communication protocols are not suitable for such role, a new aeronautical mobile satellite communications system is required to support this vision. In this context, a dedicated Element of ESA Advanced Research in Telecommunications Programme (ARTES), called "Iris", has been created in 2007. The Iris Programme is being implemented with close coordination with the European Commission, Eurocontrol, Air Navigation Service Providers and the SESAR Joint Undertaking. The first phase of the programme is underway, to define a satellite solution for ATM and to contribute to its implementation. Besides designing a new satellite communications standard, the Iris Programme analyses options for the satellite system infrastructure required for the provision of pan-European service, and its integration into SESAR's overall European ATM System. The present paper provides preliminary results of the analyses carried out for the definition of the communication standard, and explains the rationale for the technical trade-off performed to propose sustainable options for the satellite system architecture.