Report
Teaser, summary, work performed and final results
Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HELIOS (Second Generation Beacon for GALILEO/EGNOS EGNSS Search And Rescue applications)
Teaser
Save Lives In The Air, At Sea And On LandThe HELIOS project aims at providing a new range of Beacons and associated antennas (commercialized on 2019) designed to operate with the full capability of the new Meosar Cospas-Sarsat (C/S) International Programme (a satellite-based...
Summary
Save Lives In The Air, At Sea And On Land
The HELIOS project aims at providing a new range of Beacons and associated antennas (commercialized on 2019) designed to operate with the full capability of the new Meosar Cospas-Sarsat (C/S) International Programme (a satellite-based Search And Rescue (SAR) distress alert detection and information distribution system), embedded in the Navigation Satellite Systems as GALILEO.
The Search & Rescue community is at a turn of its history. New satellite systems develop the MEOSAR constellation of Cospas-Sarsat system, EGNOS improves significantly the performance of localization introducing new capabilities and new operations impossible before, GALILEO unique differentiation with the RLS added to the performance of the system will contribute to save more lives at sea and on land. In the Air the aircraft disappearances of the AFF447 and MH370 require new solutions by the aggregation of the knowledge coming from different technologies brought together in new systems.
The performance of the GALILEO constellation and EGNOS system will allow superior service for SAR community resulting in more lives saved. Products developed within the HELIOS project will provide the market the new technology and innovations expected by the community. From this technology, mature products will be delivered in accordance with the specific applications requirements, fully installable and usable by the key end-users.
Indeed, all the new requirements, which create a huge gap between actual and new beacons in terms of performances, interfaces and functionalities to the persons in distress, require developing new technologies and products in accordance with new standards (e.g. ICAO GADSS and Annex 6 regulation) with:
- Cospas-Sarsat devices with the use of encoded compatible GALILEO GNSS position in products;
- Use of Return Link Service in products
- GNSS independent source should stay as a prime target for RLS and Position;
- Ensure compatibility with MEOSAR Environment with approved FGB beacons with new features (MEOSAR 1G);
Additionally, the Helios project aims at developing research activities to supply live Second-Generation Beacon demonstrators including RLS capabilities, to also support accredited Test Lab development and system development & validation. Another demonstration is planned with the development of an Aviation Satcom Recorder ELT in order to demonstrate that both distress signal and flight data parameters can be broadcasted by one system.
Work performed
The work performed from the beginning of the project until the end of the first period lead to the definition and first steps of products developments and preliminary testing of:
• One Beacon Hardware and Firmware Platform able to meet SGB C/S Specifications, including Return Link capability; plus, one additional platform to be able to broadcast aircraft flight data parameters
• One Aviation Emergency Locator Transmitter;
• One high speed aircraft fuselage remote antenna.
• One Maritime Emergency Positioning Indication Radio Beacon (EPIRB);
• One Maritime and Land applications Personal Locator Beacon (PLB);
Final results
Due to the updated schedules for MEOSAR Second Generation system in Cospas-Sarsat Organization, the initial plan (as contracted in the Grant Agreement) required a recovery plan to allow GSA and the consortium to deliver type approved devices. Standardization activities are also incompatible with the development of the Satcom Recorder ELT as an approved product and needs additional research activities, by mainly, a demonstration of the capability of the function to Authorities, although covering both Distress Tracking and Flight Recorder Data Recovery.
The Helios project as defined now is developing Products (beacons and associated antennas) compatible with EGNSS & SAR services and latest end-users’ requirements:
• One Beacon Hardware and Firmware Platform able to meet SGB C/S Specifications, including Return Link capability; plus, one additional platform to be able to broadcast aircraft flight data parameters
• One Aviation Emergency Locator Transmitter Distress Tracking type (ELT(DT), new);
• One high speed aircraft fuselage remote antenna compatible with ELT(DT);
• One Maritime Emergency Positioning Indication Radio Beacon (EPIRB) with RLS;
• One Maritime and Land application Personal Locator Beacon with RLS.
The Helios project also started some GALILEO EGNSS & SAR System validation by testing and validate the different developed integrated products at lab level.
The next steps in the project are related to the finalisation of the testing and validation phases of the end-to-end system through space and ground segments, obtaining certifications for the new range of beacons regarding applicable standards (avionics and maritime) for commercialisation of new products and retrofit installation on aircrafts.
Website & more info
More info: http://helios-gsa-project.eu/.