Sunday, June 21, 2015

Iridium Next to Carry Harris, exactEarth AIS Payloads for global MDA

PARIS — Canada’s exactEarth Ltd. and Harris Corp. of the United States on June 9 announced a strategic partnership in which Harris will use exactEarth-patented technology to mount maritime ship-monitoring payloads on 58 next-generation Iridium mobile communications satellites.
Harris and exactEarth will divide the cost of the payloads, to launch in 2016 and 2017, and will also divide the growing satellite-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) market. Melbourne, Florida-based Harris will have exclusive rights to the technology for the U.S. government market, while Cambridge, Ontario-based exactEarth will market to the rest of the world.
The contract also gives Harris immediate access to exactEarth’s current constellation of eight small low-orbiting AIS satellites, a fleet that will grow to 11 satellites in the next two years, to begin immediate sales to U.S. government customers.
For exactEarth, majority-owned by Com Dev of Canada, the link-up with Harris is an 11th-hour ticket – the deadline for adding hosted payloads to the Iridium Next constellation is fast approaching – to a capex holiday that could last more than a decade.  Each Iridium Next satellite is built to operate for 15 years in low Earth orbit.
- See more at: http://spacenews.com/harris-exactearth-to-place-ais-gear-on-iridium-craft/#sthash.5yz15ZFb.dpuf
 PARIS — Canada’s exactEarth Ltd. and Harris Corp. of the United States on June 9 announced a strategic partnership in which Harris will use exactEarth-patented technology to mount maritime ship-monitoring payloads on 58 next-generation Iridium mobile communications satellites.

exactEarth’s coverage map with hosted payloads on Iridium Next. Photo: exactEarth
Harris, exactEarth to Build 58 AIS Hosted Payloads into Iridium Next - Via Satellite

The services use exactEarth’s signal de-collision detection technology and a sensor based on Harris’ AppSTAR reconfigurable payload technology. Through this agreement, Harris becomes the exclusive provider to the U.S. government of AIS products and services produced under the alliance, including exactEarth’s exactAIS product portfolio, while exactEarth continues to serve all other global markets.
Harris and exactEarth will divide the cost of the payloads, to launch in 2016 and 2017, and will also divide the growing satellite-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) market. Melbourne, Florida-based Harris will have exclusive rights to the technology for the U.S. government market, while Cambridge, Ontario-based exactEarth will market to the rest of the world.


Satellite AIS Breakthrough: Real Time Global Ship Tracking | GeoConnexion
Additionally, this new capability will utilise the inter-satellite communications capabilities of the Iridium NEXT constellation to deliver vessel AIS positions in real time. As a result exactView RT will provide continuous global coverage and the most persistent and optimized Satellite AIS solution for global AIS maritime awareness.
exactView RT powered by Harris offers:
  • Global average revisit of less than 1 minute
  • Customer data latency of less than 1 minute
  • The highest detection performance for both Class A and Class B AIS messages
  • Tracking of large populations of small vessels with ABSEA™ equipped AIS transceivers
  • Support for the future evolution of AIS to support VDES and other initiatives in the maritime VHF band
The contract also gives Harris immediate access to exactEarth’s current constellation of eight small low-orbiting AIS satellites, a fleet that will grow to 11 satellites in the next two years, to begin immediate sales to U.S. government customers.

For exactEarth, majority-owned by Com Dev of Canada, the link-up with Harris is an 11th-hour ticket – the deadline for adding hosted payloads to the Iridium Next constellation is fast approaching – to a capex holiday that could last more than a decade.  Each Iridium Next satellite is built to operate for 15 years in low Earth orbit.

Related/Background:

PARIS — Canada’s exactEarth Ltd. and Harris Corp. of the United States on June 9 announced a strategic partnership in which Harris will use exactEarth-patented technology to mount maritime ship-monitoring payloads on 58 next-generation Iridium mobile communications satellites.
Harris and exactEarth will divide the cost of the payloads, to launch in 2016 and 2017, and will also divide the growing satellite-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) market. Melbourne, Florida-based Harris will have exclusive rights to the technology for the U.S. government market, while Cambridge, Ontario-based exactEarth will market to the rest of the world.
The contract also gives Harris immediate access to exactEarth’s current constellation of eight small low-orbiting AIS satellites, a fleet that will grow to 11 satellites in the next two years, to begin immediate sales to U.S. government customers.
For exactEarth, majority-owned by Com Dev of Canada, the link-up with Harris is an 11th-hour ticket – the deadline for adding hosted payloads to the Iridium Next constellation is fast approaching – to a capex holiday that could last more than a decade.  Each Iridium Next satellite is built to operate for 15 years in low Earth orbit.
- See more at: http://spacenews.com/harris-exactearth-to-place-ais-gear-on-iridium-craft/#sthash.5yz15ZFb.dpuf

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