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Objectives
Iris Precursor is Europe’s latest development in satellite-based aviation safety services. It is supported by ESA and national delegations under the ARTES 10 line.
Satellite communications has long been established on the world’s long-haul fleets. Operating predominately in oceanic and remote airspace domains it has revolutionised air traffic management leading to improved aircraft routing and substantial fuel savings.
Inmarsat, who acts as Prime, has been a pioneer in this field and the systems it has developed are used on the majority of inter-continental flights.
In the busy airspace over continents, the demands placed on communication systems are much greater. Iris Precursor will enable satcom to meet the stringent safety, performance and cost requirements for Air Traffic Management in dense continental airspace. Working with key industry partners such as Airbus, Iris Precursor will place Europe at the forefront of this industry.
Iris Precursor will have an important role to play in ATM infrastructure worldwide. This capability can provide additional bandwidth for continental operations currently operating VHF datalink, while offering a complementary overlay and extension of these services to remote regions
Plan
The programme is split into 2 phases:
- Phase 1: starts at programme kick off and terminates at completion of the System Final Design Review, expected at KO + 6 months. In addition to the programme-wide activities, phase 1 is mainly focusing on the system design definition of the programme.
- Phase 2: starts at completion of Phase 1 and lasts for 30 months, up to programme Final Review. In addition to the programme-wide activities, Phase 2 is aimed at implementing, integrating, and testing the Iris Precursor system.
Current Status
The Iris Precursor contract was signed in September 2014 and has successfully met all Phase 1 milestones, which have led to a successful Final Design Review (FDR) in June 2015. The Consortium is now focussing on the beginning of Phase 2, with development activities across all programme segments.
Companies
