Iris will provide a safe and secure text-based data link between pilots and air traffic control (ATC) networks using satellite technology. The program is developed under a public-private partnership between ESA and Inmarsat, and will help relieve pressure on the aviation sector’s congested radio frequency communication channels. It will so as part of the European Commission’s Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) masterplan to modernize Europe’s air traffic management.
Air passengers will soon be able to cut their carbon footprint when traveling on flights that are routed using satellites. An agreement signed today between satellite company Inmarsat and the European Satellite Services Provider, which represents air traffic controllers from seven European countries, will enable final tests of the space-based system to be conducted and evaluated. It is expected to be introduced across Europe by 2023. ESA has worked with Inmarsat to develop a space-enabled digital alternative to traditional air traffic control that enables pilots to take more efficient trajectories, saving fuel and cutting carbon emissions. The system – called Iris – uses satellites to exchange data with aircraft, supplementing the terrestrial communications system with digital position reports, clearances, and runway conditions, sent via telecommunications satellites between cockpits and air traffic control centers. Flight plans can be continually updated during the flight to maintain an optimal trajectory towards the destination, minimizing the fuel burned and the carbon dioxide emitted. Iris was first tested on planes flying over Europe in 2018 and debuted in the US on a new Boeing 737-9 operated by Alaska Airlines earlier this year. Read more...
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