These studies provide an opportunity for several potential candidate service providers to assess the business opportunity. They will also interact with the ANTARES study to ensure that their operational experience is being considered to optimise the design.
Two of the studies, called SIRIO and OPERA, started in January 2010. The third activity began on 12 February. The SIRIO study is being led by Telespazio (IT) as prime of a team involving Egis Avia (FR), Hispasat (ES), NATS (GB) and Telespazio (FR). The OPERA study enlists the Aeronautical Communications Service Provider SITA (GB) as prime and involves SES Astra TechCom (LU).
The third study has been awarded to Inmarsat (GB) as prime contractor leading a team including the Aeronautical Communications Service Provider ARINC (US), the Spanish Air Navigation Service Provider AENA (ES) and Helios (GB) with consultancy support from Aon (GB) and Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP (GB). Overall, these three teams gather expertise from the two world-leaders for aeronautical telecommunication service provision, as well as from several main European satellite operators and service providers.
The Satellite System Operation begins with the definition of the satellite operator’s and telecom service provider’s requirements, including technical and regulatory issues, in order to prepare their future involvement in provision of the safety service. The studies provide technical support to ESA in the evaluation of the system design options proposed by the ANTARES study, including trade-offs on possible operating schemes and business case alternatives. Depending on the approach chosen after the System Requirements Review of ANTARES, outputs will be refined by each study team. The satellite operators and service providers shall then help ESA define viable cooperation schemes for Iris Phase 2.2.
Iris aims to develop a new Air-Ground Communication system for Air Traffic Management. It is the satellite-based solution for the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) programme. By 2020 it will contribute to the modernisation of air traffic management by providing digital datalinks to cockpit crews in continental and oceanic airspace. Iris is element 10 of ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme.
For more information, see the links located in the column to the right.
