ACP-WGW04/IP-04
International Civil Aviation Organization
09/09/11
INFORMATION PAPER
AERONAUTICAL COMMUNICATIONS PANEL (ACP)
FOURTH MEETING OF THE WORKING GROUP OF THE WHOLE
Montreal, Canada 14 – 16 September 2011
Agenda Item 2: Future Communication Infrastructure, progress update and recommendations
SESAR P15.2.6: Future mobile satellite communication
Scope and status
(Presented by Nikos Fistas, EUROCONTROL)
(Prepared by Pierpaolo Tavernise, P15.2.6 PM, Thales Alenia Space Italia)
SUMMARY
This paper describes the status of the Single European Sky ATM Research
(SESAR) Project P15.2.6 activities, which aim at defining the requirements, at
performing the complementary activities of technical validation and at
supporting the data link standardization of the future safety-of-life satellite
communication system for the European Air Traffic Management System. The
satellite system design and development is in charge to the European Space
Agency (ESA) and in particular to the ESA ARTES Element 10, “Iris”
Programme.
P15.2.6 is currently completing the Mission Requirements definition and it is
starting the preliminary definition of the satellite communication system
Verification and Validation activities.
ACTION
The ACP is invited to take note of the information presented in this paper
(4 pages)
106730608
ACP-WGW04/IP-04
1.
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INTRODUCTION
1.1
SESAR Target Concept [1] and the European ATM Master Plan [2] indicate that the new
long-term communication requirements for the European ATM can be met by implementing new
terrestrial and satellite based data links over the high-density continental areas and providing satellite
communication as the primary mean over oceanic, remote and polar areas.
1.2
The terrestrial and satellite ATM networks will be fully integrated in order to realize a
multilink link system and offer complementarities to the terrestrial links in terms of coverage and
diversity of the infrastructures and radio spectrum.
1.3
SESAR introduced the “dual link” concept as a way to limit the impact of events that are
critical such as Loss of Service. The contemporary availability and usage of multiple new data links in a
transparent way is the object of the Multilink Operational Concept defined in the SESAR Project 15.2.4.
P15.2.4 is the SESAR Project in charge of the definition of the overall system aspects of the Future
Communications Infrastructure (FCI) to be developed under the SESAR Programme. The FCI will be a
system of systems integrating the existing communication sub networks (i.e. VDL2) as well as the
following new foreseen communications links:
1.3.1
AeroMACS - a ground-based, high-capacity, airport surface datalink system for the
aeronautical mobile airport communications
1.3.2
LDACS - a ground-based datalink system for continental airspace in L-band for digital
aeronautical communications
1.3.3
environments
SATCOM - a satellite-based datalink system for the oceanic, remote and continental
1.4
SESAR Project 15.2.6 (P15.2.6) is focused on the activities related to the new satellite
datalink (SATCOM) and is the defined interface of SESAR Programme to the European Space Agency
(ESA) ARTES Element 10, “Iris” Programme in charge of the aeronautical SATCOM system design and
development [3].
2.
SESAR P15.2.6 “FUTURE MOBILE SATELLITE
COMMUNICATION” – PURPOSE AND ACTIVITIES
2.1
SESAR P15.2.6 is carried out by the following SESAR Members. Airbus, AENA,
Alenia, Eurocontrol, Frequentis, Indra, NORACON and Thales.
2.2
Thales Alenia Space Italia (one of the four Thales Entities involved in the project) is in
charge of the project coordination.
2.3
P15.2.6 has started its activities in April 2010 and its completion is foreseen in 2016
(inline with the ESA Iris and P15.2.4 schedule)
2.4
P15.2.6 aims to perform the following main activities:
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ACP-WGW04/IP-04
2.4.1
To define the Iris mission requirements (MRD) identifying the satellite link operational
concepts,
2.4.2
To define the SATCOM system interfaces (ICD) with the overall SESAR infrastructure,
2.4.3
To support the validation of the ESA Iris development from an end-to-end point of view
in collaboration with P15.2.4 for the FCI Operational Concept
2.4.4
To support the standardization processes related to the satellite communication system
and promoting the aviation technical standard to regional and international
standardizations bodies.
2.5
The support to the satellite system standardization is performed by the participation of
P15.2.6 Members to the EUROCONTROL NEXUS WG [4]. NEXUS WG is a subgroup of NexSAT SG
and is based on voluntary contributions.
3.
SESAR P15.2.6 “FUTURE MOBILE SATELLITE
COMMUNICATION” - STATUS AND WAY FORWARD
3.1
Currently P15.2.6 is working on 2 main tasks:
3.1.1
The definition of the Iris Mission Requirements
3.1.2
The definition of an update of the AMS(R)S SARPs for the future satellite data link (by
the Nexus WG).
3.2
The Mission Requirement Document (MRD) aims to collect the expectations of all the
stakeholders involved in the SATCOM data link. The task will be completed with the support of a
selected team of Airspace Users and aeronautical experts.
3.3
Once the MRD is issued, ESA will translate the Mission Requirements into requirements
applicable to the design and development of the Satellite Communication System. The satellite system
design is carried out between Iris design studies and SESAR P15.2.6 by an iterative process.
3.4
P15.2.6 is currently supporting the NEXUS WG in developing a proposal for ICAO for
an update of the available AMS(R)S SARPs with the addition of the performance requirements for the
future ATM SATCOM systems. In the future it’s foreseen the P15.2.6 will support Nexus WG to develop
a proposal for an update of the AMS(R)S Technical Manual with the specifications of a new SATCOM
technology meeting the updated requirements.
3.5
In addition to the SATCOM MRD, P15.2.6 will deliver to ESA the Iris ICD that will
define the interface between the future European ATM Network (EATMN) with the Iris SATCOM
system. SATCOM ICD definition will start in October 2011.
3.6
Next year will start the P15.2.6 Work activity related to the support of the SATCOM
Validation and verification. P15.2.6 will be focused mainly on the system verification and will support
the operational validation process. Verification activities will consist on defining the SATCOM system
test procedures and plan, the specification of the SATCOM Test beds architecture, the support to the
integration of the SATCOM test bed in the FCI test bed and the execution and analysis of the related
tests.
ACP-WGW04/IP-04
4.
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ACTION BY THE MEETING
4.1
The ACP WGW is invited to take note of the information presented in this paper. Any
party interested in additional information are invited to contact the author:
References:
[1] SESAR The ATM Target Concept (D3), 2007
[2] European Air Traffic Management Master Plan Edition 1 - 30 March 2009
[3] http://telecom.esa.int/iris
[4] http://www.eurocontrol.int/nexsat/public/subsite_homepage/homepage.html