A Simulation of Signal Collisions over the North Atlantic for a Spaceborne ADS-B Receiver Using Aloha Protocol

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) is an air traffic surveillance system in which aircraft broadcast GPS position, velocity and status on 1090 MHz at random intervals between 0.4 and 0.6 seconds. ADS-B networks for air traffic monitoring have been implemented worldwide, but ground stations cannot be installed in oceanic regions, leaving these areas uncovered. A solution for tracking aircraft over the ocean is through the monitoring of ADS-B signals by using spaceborne receivers. The Royal Military College of Canada has developed an ADS-B receiver that is scheduled to fly as a technology demonstrator on the Canadian Advanced Nanospace eXperiment-7 (CanX-7) nanosatellite. The payload will collect ADS-B data over the North Atlantic that will be compared to truth data provided by air traffic services. A potential issue for the CanX-7 payload is signal collisions. The extended footprint of the satellite coverage means that a large number of aircraft may be in view at any one time, leading to ADS-B messages that arrive simultaneously at the receiver not being decoded. A simulation of CanX-7 passage over the operations area was carried out to calculate the probability of signal collisions. Using the Aloha Protocol, it was determined that the loss of information as a result of signal collisions is well within the standards of ground based radars used by air traffic system agencies.

The CanX-7 Nanosatellite ADS-B Mission: A Preliminary Assessment

The development of space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) will allow surveillance of aircraft in areas not covered by radar or ground-based ADS-B systems. In September 2016, the Canadian Advanced Nanospace eXperiment-7 (CanX-7) satellite was launched into a 690 km sun synchronous orbit with an ADS-B receiver payload. The first phase of ADS-B data collection took place over the North Atlantic between 4 and 31 October. A preliminary assessment of the data indicates that the average ADS-B signal strength is close to the calculated receiver detection threshold of D94.5 ± 0.5 dBm. The pattern of received ADS-B reception appears to be consistent with a signal propagation model developed for the CanX-7 mission. Future work includes the comparison of coincidental flight plan data for the operations area and an analysis of the payload antenna pattern.

The CanX-7 ADS-B Mission: Signal Propagation Assessment

The CanX-7 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) nanosatellite mission collected more than four million ADS-B messages between October 2016 and April 2017. An analysis of data collected over the north Atlantic Ocean from 05 to 28 Oct included 20,707 position messages in which the angle from satellite nadir to aircraft was determined. The proximity of the received signal strength to the noise floor of the sensor allowed for an analysis of optimal aircraft-satellite orientation for ADS-B transmission detection. The results showed a significant disparity between descending and ascending passes of the satellite. For descending passes, the average nadir angle was 50.1°?with 90% of the contacts greater than 40°. The ascending passes had an average nadir angle of 31.6°?with only 24.8% of the contacts exceeding 40°. The evidence suggests that the satellite magnetic torquer may not have been fully aligned with the north magnetic pole as the satellite moved northward, resulting in ascending pass nadir angles that were not reflective of the full range of values. Further analysis of the descending passes showed agreement with an ADS-B signal propagation model with peak reception at nadir angles of 51°?± 8°. For space-based ADS-B operations, the results support the replacement of the current aircraft upper quarter-wave monopole to an antenna that will transmit more energy directly above the airframe.

A Simulation of Reflected ADS-B Signals over the North Atlantic for a Spaceborne Receiver

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) is an air traffic surveillance technology in which aircraft broadcast position, identification and status an average of 6.2 times per second on 1090 MHz. The Royal Military College of Canada has developed an ADS-B receiver that is scheduled to fly as a technology demonstrator on the Canadian Advanced Nanospace eXperiment-7 (CanX-7) nanosatellite. A signal propagation model was developed to determine the power level and number of signals that will be detected by CanX-7. Since the ADS-B messages are alternately transmitted from upper and lower antennas, both the direct and reflected signals were considered. A simulation using the model was run over the North Atlantic with aircraft data supplied by air traffic services and a satellite altitude of 800 km. Power at the receiver for reflected ADS-B signals ranged from -109.5 to -118 dBm depending on aircraft-satellite geometry and was approximately 18 dBm less than the direct path signal strength. With a sensitivity of -103 dBm, the CanX-7 ADS-B receiver should detect virtually all of the direct path signals while reflected signals are below the detection threshold. Although the reflected signals should not be a factor for the CanX-7 mission, they could be a consideration for a large operational satellite with a more sensitive receiver. The reception of both direct and reflected ADS-B signals from multiple aircraft could lead to signal collisions and subsequent loss of aircraft tracking information, particularly in coastal regions where there are additional sources of the 1090 MHz signal.