Iridium Communications Inc.
Iridium is the only mobile voice and data satellite communications network that spans the entire globe, enabling connections between people, organizations, and assets to and from anywhere, in real time. Together with its ecosystem of partners, Iridium delivers an innovative portfolio of reliable solutions for markets that require truly global communications.
Our latest news
7/04/2023
What are Autonomous Systems and How Does SATCOM Play a Role?
Tag: UAV, drones, satcom, satellite, connectivity, global connectivity
Autonomous systems help machines perform and communicate predetermined tasks and make decisions without the need for human interaction. These systems can be integrated with satellite communications for drones and IoT devices deployed in fixed locations and as mobile assets on the ground, in the water or in the sky. The integration of autonomous systems with machines and devices has transformed operations across numerous industries enabling an independent ability to accomplish missions–particularly in remote and inhospitable environments. They reduce risks to personnel, expedite data gathering and analyses, and deliver actionable information. Autonomous systems examples include Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USV) gathering data at sea, unattended sensors monitoring environmental changes, driverless cars navigating city streets, and Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) conducting surveillance or delivering packages.
Most autonomous systems are integrated with purpose-built machines designed with the resilience needed for their deployed environment. Despite not requiring real-time human control, the success of any deployed autonomous asset can be contingent on having a reliable and secure communications network. This is necessary for providing new command sets, taking remote control, requesting status and machine health information, and the transmission of gathered mission data. For remotely deployed autonomous assets, weather-resilient satellite communications (SATCOM) is now a necessity. SATCOM networks like Iridium® can serve as a reliable primary communications solution and support off-the-grid operations while also providing a cost-effective backup option for cellular service if networks are compromised or an asset ventures beyond coverage.
Iridium and its partners have developed connectivity solutions for autonomous systems that scale in size, weight, power and bandwidth based on the needs of the assets and their missions. Supported by the Iridium network’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, exclusively providing weather-resilient, truly global connectivity, autonomous systems can remain connected regardless of location or weather conditions. Iridium and Iridium Connected® partner solutions are either integrated directly into the system or as a low-profile add-on, reducing time to deployment.
Iridium partner Swoop Aero is example of these solutions in action today.
While some UAVs require a remote human pilot, Iridium partner Swoop Aero deploys its integrated drones logistics Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), allowing them to remotely pilot up to five aircraft. Many of their operations take place in challenging environments, making drone delivery a safer, faster and more reliable alternative to ground transportation of goods. In one such case, Swoop Aero has been successfully delivering vaccines to remote villages in Vanuatu, saving days of hiking mountainous islands and racing the clock against their refrigeration systems expiring. Since their first delivery in Vanuatu, Swoop Aero has moved over 1 million items by drone and operates drone logistics networks in 5 countries.
Most autonomous systems are integrated with purpose-built machines designed with the resilience needed for their deployed environment. Despite not requiring real-time human control, the success of any deployed autonomous asset can be contingent on having a reliable and secure communications network. This is necessary for providing new command sets, taking remote control, requesting status and machine health information, and the transmission of gathered mission data. For remotely deployed autonomous assets, weather-resilient satellite communications (SATCOM) is now a necessity. SATCOM networks like Iridium® can serve as a reliable primary communications solution and support off-the-grid operations while also providing a cost-effective backup option for cellular service if networks are compromised or an asset ventures beyond coverage.
Iridium and its partners have developed connectivity solutions for autonomous systems that scale in size, weight, power and bandwidth based on the needs of the assets and their missions. Supported by the Iridium network’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, exclusively providing weather-resilient, truly global connectivity, autonomous systems can remain connected regardless of location or weather conditions. Iridium and Iridium Connected® partner solutions are either integrated directly into the system or as a low-profile add-on, reducing time to deployment.
Iridium partner Swoop Aero is example of these solutions in action today.
While some UAVs require a remote human pilot, Iridium partner Swoop Aero deploys its integrated drones logistics Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), allowing them to remotely pilot up to five aircraft. Many of their operations take place in challenging environments, making drone delivery a safer, faster and more reliable alternative to ground transportation of goods. In one such case, Swoop Aero has been successfully delivering vaccines to remote villages in Vanuatu, saving days of hiking mountainous islands and racing the clock against their refrigeration systems expiring. Since their first delivery in Vanuatu, Swoop Aero has moved over 1 million items by drone and operates drone logistics networks in 5 countries.
7/04/2023
Record-Breaking NASA UAV Mission Made Possible With Iridium Certus 100
Tag:
Platform Aerospace, an industry leader in rapid aircraft and UAV modification and system integration, owns and operates Vanilla Unmanned, an ultra-long flight endurance Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) UAV platform. In September 2021, Vanilla Unmanned set a World Air Sports Federation world record for unrefueled internal combustion endurance for a UAV – eight days, 50 minutes and 47 seconds.
UAVs such as Vanilla Unmanned require reliable Global Line of Sight® (GLOS®) communications and low-latency Command and Control (C2) to ensure safe ISR mission operation and market acceptance. Traditionally, communication capabilities have been enabled through radio frequency (RF), but cannot enable GLOS (also known as Beyond Visual Line of Sight, or BVLOS) communications. Iridium’s pole-to-pole global and low-latency satellite connectivity offers an alternative.
In 2021, Vanilla Unmanned was contracted for Arctic environmental monitoring operations on behalf of the NASA Goddard Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory and the University of Kansas Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS). To ensure its success in harsh Arctic conditions, the mission required reliable satellite connectivity to enable telemetry streaming and C2 capability between the UAV and the ground control station. Maintaining C2 during GLOS operations can be challenging as many datalink solutions are limited by range or geography.
By leveraging Iridium’s global connectivity and low latency, SKYTRAC’s Iridium Certus® Connected DLS-100 midband transceiver provided Platform Aerospace a reliable and cutting-edge solution for real-time C2, telemetry streaming and GPS connectivity to ensure the safe execution of the scientific expedition. The DLS-100’s customizable power requirements support a range of UAV and UAS platforms – including Vanilla Unmanned – making it easily compatible.
In December 2021, Vanilla Unmanned took off from Deadhorse, Alaska, carrying KU’s RADAR for snow depth measurements, multiple state-of-the-art ice detection and anti-icing applications – and of course, the DLS-100. Weighing only 26.2 oz (742.8 g), the transceiver was ideal for Vanilla Unmanned’s multiple payload capacity.
SKYTRAC’s IP67-compliant modem provided 22 Kbps uplink and 88 Kbps downlink speeds consistently throughout the mission, effectively maintaining connectivity for C2 while operating GLOS. This allowed pilots from the Ground Control Station (GCS) to have real-time C2 with Vanilla Unmanned while simultaneously sending commands and receiving flight telemetry that ensured safe GLOS operations.
In temperatures ranging from -17 to -9 degrees Celsius (1 to 16 degrees Fahrenheit), Vanilla Unmanned successfully fielded the snow radar within the Arctic Circle to collect data on snow and ice thickness. The DLS-100’s global coverage and resiliency to extreme weather enabled the UAV to fly at 2,000 feet altitude at a 130-mile range from the base station solely over SATCOM.
NASA declared the mission a success after Vanilla Unmanned not only demonstrated its ability to gather snow and ice thickness data using wing-mounted radar, but also to operate on satcom in the harsh Arctic environment. SKYTRAC and Iridium provided the reliable connectivity needed to conduct such BVLOS flight operations safely.
The mission illustrates a broader market shift to replace traditionally manned surveying with lower-risk, long endurance UAS. With SKYTRAC and Iridium enabling reliable, global, low-latency coverage, this market shift to unmanned technology is not only made safe, but possible.
UAVs such as Vanilla Unmanned require reliable Global Line of Sight® (GLOS®) communications and low-latency Command and Control (C2) to ensure safe ISR mission operation and market acceptance. Traditionally, communication capabilities have been enabled through radio frequency (RF), but cannot enable GLOS (also known as Beyond Visual Line of Sight, or BVLOS) communications. Iridium’s pole-to-pole global and low-latency satellite connectivity offers an alternative.
In 2021, Vanilla Unmanned was contracted for Arctic environmental monitoring operations on behalf of the NASA Goddard Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory and the University of Kansas Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS). To ensure its success in harsh Arctic conditions, the mission required reliable satellite connectivity to enable telemetry streaming and C2 capability between the UAV and the ground control station. Maintaining C2 during GLOS operations can be challenging as many datalink solutions are limited by range or geography.
By leveraging Iridium’s global connectivity and low latency, SKYTRAC’s Iridium Certus® Connected DLS-100 midband transceiver provided Platform Aerospace a reliable and cutting-edge solution for real-time C2, telemetry streaming and GPS connectivity to ensure the safe execution of the scientific expedition. The DLS-100’s customizable power requirements support a range of UAV and UAS platforms – including Vanilla Unmanned – making it easily compatible.
In December 2021, Vanilla Unmanned took off from Deadhorse, Alaska, carrying KU’s RADAR for snow depth measurements, multiple state-of-the-art ice detection and anti-icing applications – and of course, the DLS-100. Weighing only 26.2 oz (742.8 g), the transceiver was ideal for Vanilla Unmanned’s multiple payload capacity.
SKYTRAC’s IP67-compliant modem provided 22 Kbps uplink and 88 Kbps downlink speeds consistently throughout the mission, effectively maintaining connectivity for C2 while operating GLOS. This allowed pilots from the Ground Control Station (GCS) to have real-time C2 with Vanilla Unmanned while simultaneously sending commands and receiving flight telemetry that ensured safe GLOS operations.
In temperatures ranging from -17 to -9 degrees Celsius (1 to 16 degrees Fahrenheit), Vanilla Unmanned successfully fielded the snow radar within the Arctic Circle to collect data on snow and ice thickness. The DLS-100’s global coverage and resiliency to extreme weather enabled the UAV to fly at 2,000 feet altitude at a 130-mile range from the base station solely over SATCOM.
NASA declared the mission a success after Vanilla Unmanned not only demonstrated its ability to gather snow and ice thickness data using wing-mounted radar, but also to operate on satcom in the harsh Arctic environment. SKYTRAC and Iridium provided the reliable connectivity needed to conduct such BVLOS flight operations safely.
The mission illustrates a broader market shift to replace traditionally manned surveying with lower-risk, long endurance UAS. With SKYTRAC and Iridium enabling reliable, global, low-latency coverage, this market shift to unmanned technology is not only made safe, but possible.
7/04/2023
Iridium Global Line of Sight Service Enables Remote Monitoring of Offshore Oil & Gas Emissions
Tag: UAV, drones, satcom, satellite, connectivity, global connectivity
Challenging the conventional methods of environmental monitoring, Flylogix set out to create a solution using remotely piloted vehicles that could improve the process of emissions data collection of offshore oil and gas rigs. Traditionally, monitoring these assets is a difficult and expensive process, and the complexity of gathering this data has meant operators have relied on estimates. Flylogix identified the opportunity to improve this process by equipping unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with monitors, sensors, and recording devices to capture environmental data and bring it back to shore.
Typically, drones are connected through expensive UHF radio; however, the reach of such communications is limited in distance and resiliency. The missions Flylogix was looking to solve required connectivity Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), and reliability in any weather conditions.
Using the Iridium Core 9523 and Iridium 9602 transceivers, Flylogix developed bespoke UAVs with the equipment necessary to collect emissions data from the offshore rigs, as well as the Iridium Connected® communications links necessary to perform essential Command and Control (C2) functions. As the drone circles the rig, it collects and records important environmental data.
While the UAV is on its mission, remote pilots can monitor its engine status, fuel level, speed, attitude, and location, ensuring that the aircraft is flying properly and allowing the pilots to immediately recall the drone if any of the numbers indicate an issue. Iridium provides this connectivity in a way no other communications network can – to anywhere in the world – creating a Global Line of Sight (GLOSSM) offering, regardless of where the pilots or command center are located.
Leveraging Iridium’s network to create a GLOS service, far beyond the reach of traditional radio communications or other satellite networks, Flylogix was able to develop a solution that increased visibility and accuracy into offshore oil and gas operations like never before.
The small size, light weight, and low power requirements of Iridium core technologies uniquely satisfied the needs of Flylogix by integrating into the UAVs’ communications center, allowing for resilient, real-time connections without increasing the weight or size of the drone. This allows Flylogix to conduct longer missions and gather more data than is possible with traditional collections methods. Upon seeing the success and positive impact of their Iridium Connected solution, Flylogix identified additional capabilities possible through the power of Iridium Certus. Using the Iridium Certus 9770 transceiver, Flylogix is developing a second-generation communications link leveraging Iridium’s midband services. With a more complex transceiver enabling a wider communications pipe, Iridium Certus will enable Flylogix to expand its mission by creating additional deliverable opportunities, further increasing value to its customers.
Typically, drones are connected through expensive UHF radio; however, the reach of such communications is limited in distance and resiliency. The missions Flylogix was looking to solve required connectivity Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), and reliability in any weather conditions.
Using the Iridium Core 9523 and Iridium 9602 transceivers, Flylogix developed bespoke UAVs with the equipment necessary to collect emissions data from the offshore rigs, as well as the Iridium Connected® communications links necessary to perform essential Command and Control (C2) functions. As the drone circles the rig, it collects and records important environmental data.
While the UAV is on its mission, remote pilots can monitor its engine status, fuel level, speed, attitude, and location, ensuring that the aircraft is flying properly and allowing the pilots to immediately recall the drone if any of the numbers indicate an issue. Iridium provides this connectivity in a way no other communications network can – to anywhere in the world – creating a Global Line of Sight (GLOSSM) offering, regardless of where the pilots or command center are located.
Leveraging Iridium’s network to create a GLOS service, far beyond the reach of traditional radio communications or other satellite networks, Flylogix was able to develop a solution that increased visibility and accuracy into offshore oil and gas operations like never before.
The small size, light weight, and low power requirements of Iridium core technologies uniquely satisfied the needs of Flylogix by integrating into the UAVs’ communications center, allowing for resilient, real-time connections without increasing the weight or size of the drone. This allows Flylogix to conduct longer missions and gather more data than is possible with traditional collections methods. Upon seeing the success and positive impact of their Iridium Connected solution, Flylogix identified additional capabilities possible through the power of Iridium Certus. Using the Iridium Certus 9770 transceiver, Flylogix is developing a second-generation communications link leveraging Iridium’s midband services. With a more complex transceiver enabling a wider communications pipe, Iridium Certus will enable Flylogix to expand its mission by creating additional deliverable opportunities, further increasing value to its customers.