Friday, April 26, 2013

New satellite with helix antenna to track maritime shipping

A new satellite with a $1.3 million four-meter antenna has been designed to track maritime shipping worldwide.

"We describe it basically as a flying antenna," says Tom Sproewitz, engineer at the German aerospace center DLR in Bremen.

AISat is Germany's first satellite that tracks worldwide shipping movements. It will use an existing system, automatic identification signals, which are mandatory in maritime traffic to prevent ship collisions. The signals use VHF frequencies and have a range of about 20 nautical miles on the surface.

"There are so many ships equipped with AIS en route in the North Sea that the signals overlap and are no longer distinguishable," explains Ralf-Dieter Preuss of the German Maritime Agency. "This is because most standard satellites are equipped with non-directional copper antennas, which cover an area with a diameter of 6,000 kilometers. In contrast, the satellite developed in Bremen will be much more precise, thanks to the use of a high-gain helix antenna."

DLR is running final tests and plans for AISat to be complete by June. The satellite will be launched into space at the end of this year or in early 2014 on an Indian rocket.

For more of the Oman Observer story: main.omanobserver.om

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