Media

Dublin, 9 October, 2017 – Aireon announced today the successful launch and deployment of the third batch of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites, carrying its space-based automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) payloads. 

Aireon is now well on its way to become the first to provide global, real-time air traffic surveillance and tracking to air navigation service providers (ANSPs) and aviation stakeholders. The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is a partner in Aireon along with other international air navigation service providers such as; NAV CANADA (Canada), ENAV (Italy) and Naviair (Denmark).

Conducted from Vandenberg Air Force Base, United States with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 5:37 a.m. PDT, (1:37 p.m. GMT) this launch has increased the total number of Aireon payloads in orbit to a total of 30, with another 45 destined for space in a series of five additional launches planned over the next ten months. 

An IAA spokesperson said; “This marks a significant and positive development for Aireon as we move towards completion by mid-2018. We are really pleased to be part of this game-changer technology as the Aireon system will enable the world’s first global real-time air traffic surveillance system which will provide coverage to oceanic, polar and remote regions, as well as augment existing systems in terrestrial airspace. Aireon will significantly improve efficiency, enhance safety, reduce emissions and provide cost savings benefits to all stakeholders.”

The Aireon payloads from the first two launches, completed on January 14th and June 25th of 2017, have already demonstrated the ground-breaking capability to identify aircraft all over world, resulting in more than six billion ADS-B position reports being received in just seven months.