Spire Global Awarded €16 Million ESA Contract to Design and Demonstrate Satellite-Based Aviation Surveillance System
- Spire Global has been awarded a €16 million contract by the European Space Agency to develop a global space-based independent aircraft surveillance system
- The project aims to design and demonstrate a system that uses a satellite constellation to track aircraft in real time
- The project aligns with the European Air Traffic Management Master Plan and will provide a fully reliable and resilient surveillance solution for aircraft
- None.
Spire will provide a system design and in-orbit technology demonstrator for a satellite constellation to monitor flights globally in real time, developing the most advanced independent civilian aviation surveillance system
The EURIALO project intends to design and demonstrate the viability of a novel system that uses a satellite constellation to track aircraft by determining their exact position based on different times of arrivals of radio frequency (RF) signals, a technology known in the aviation industry as multilateration (MLAT). Spire will develop the mission and system design for a satellite constellation in low Earth orbit (LEO) and then design, deploy and operate a demonstrator mission that proves the performance of the system and its critical technologies. Following the initial design and demonstrator phases, there is a potential opportunity to be selected to build out the full constellation, which would foresee a large number of satellites.
The Company will lead a consortium of major industry players for the contract, including ESSP (European Satellite Services Provider), a leading space-based Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) services provider.
Today, surveillance systems often rely on self-reported positions of aircraft, which are derived from GNSS satellites. The need for an additional complementary space solution will provide a fully reliable and resilient surveillance solution completing the European CNS infrastructure. By independently verifying the location of a plane through geolocation MLAT technology, the EURIALO project will provide the most advanced and reliable system for aircraft surveillance, with the ability to track a plane in real time from takeoff to landing anywhere in the world. The project aligns with the forward-look strategy of the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) Master Plan, which outlines the need for resilient, space-based infrastructure to support safe, sustainable and efficient air travel.
“Space-based aircraft tracking and geolocation is the future of air traffic management to ensure safe, secure and sustainable air travel at a global scale,” said Peter Platzer, CEO, Spire Global. “We are honored to be selected by ESA to lead the development of this first-of-its-kind aviation surveillance system demonstrator, leveraging our more than 500 years of flight heritage operating satellites in space and expertise in radio frequency technology.”
“ESA has a long track record of supporting companies that use satellites to improve aviation safety, security and sustainability, ensuring European autonomy and improving the lives of European citizens by creating jobs and prosperity,” said Javier Benedicto, acting director of Connectivity and Secure Communications at ESA. “We are proud to partner with Spire Global with its strong heritage to develop a best-in-class satellite system design to demonstrate a system that will revolutionise air traffic management and surveillance for safer skies.”
The EURIALO project is mainly funded through the German Space Agency at DLR. Spire, through its newly established German subsidiary, will open an office in
“This project will contribute to safer, and more efficient and sustainable air traffic. Addressing the small satellite market will further boost our industrial base in
About Spire Global, Inc.
Spire (NYSE: SPIR) is a global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, offering unique datasets and powerful insights about Earth so that organizations can make decisions with confidence in a rapidly changing world. Spire builds, owns, and operates a fully deployed satellite constellation that observes the Earth in real time using radio frequency technology. The data acquired by Spire’s satellites provides global weather intelligence, ship and plane movements, and spoofing and jamming detection to better predict how their patterns impact economies, global security, business operations, and the environment. Spire also offers Space as a Service solutions that empower customers to leverage its established infrastructure to put their business in space. Spire has eight offices across the
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Source: Spire Global, Inc.
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