A number of satellite system techniques have been suggested as candidates to provide ATC surveillance, communication, and/or navigation service over CONUS. All techniques perform position determination by multilateration using a constellation of satellites. They can be categorized as follows: (1) Coordinated Aircraft-to-Satellite Techniques (CAST), (2) Random Access Aircraft-to-Satellite Techniques (RAST), and (3) Satellite-to-Aircraft Techniques(SAT). A technical assessment is made of the various techniques with no one particular technique emerging as superior; several feasible alternatives are identified. The assessment indicates that satellite based techniques for CONUS ATC can be developed without relying on high risk technology. This volume deals with CAST; RAST AND SAT are treated in companion volumes. A system employing CAST could operate by having each aircraft transmit only in response to an interrogation from a satellite. The position of the aircraft is then obtained by multilateration using the arrival times of its response at four or more satellites. A digital message can accompany each interrogation or response. By properly coordination the interrogations, mutual interference between different response can be avoided. The critical technical aspects of CAST are explored with special emphasis on signaling formats, avionics, the satellite antenna and susceptibility to jamming.
Technical Assessment of Satellites for CONUS Air Traffic Control. Volume I: Coordinated Aircraft-to-Satellite Techniques
1974
132 pages
Report
No indication
English
Common Carrier & Satellite , Air Transportation , Navigation & Guidance System Components , Air traffic control , Navigation satellites , Interrogator transmitters , General aviation aircraft , Avionics , Spacecraft antennas , Data transmissions , Data links , Spacecraft communication , Computer programming