Project: Space Based AIS – Improving operational efficiency and reducing fuel consumption for ships with small satellites
The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a ship-to-ship or ship-to-shore tracking and communications system that provides information for surveillance and the safe navigation of ships, from which tracked messages indicating position and state information are sent. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has ruled that all passenger ships, all cargo ships greater than 500 gross tons, and all ships greater than 300 tons on an international voyage must carry an AIS transceiver by July 2008. Monitoring of AIS messages on a large scale provides real-time information on all vessel movements, irrespective if they are a customer or not. Knowledge of the position, heading, cargo, and destination of all ships in the world can be used to create value adding services for commercial customers as well as it can provide government organization with the data they require to fulfil their safety and surveillance responsibilities (see appendix)._x000D__x000D_Currently, the AIS signals are received and distributed from land and the coverage of this information is dependent on the position of AIS receivers on land. The final objective of this project is to provide a maritime information service for the high seas, and other areas where no land-based infrastructure is available, based on AIS data received from a cost-effective space infrastructure. This global coverage allows the data to fulfill an extra purpose: besides the safety application it enables a reduction of fuel consumption for ships. In order to achieve this, a space infrastructure will be realized, consisting of advanced AIS-receivers and small, efficient spacecraft to receive the signals in remote areas and to provide global coverage in a cost-effective way._x000D__x000D_As a result of increasing fuel prices the operational cost of shipping cargo by ships has changed. Fuel consumption has become the major cost aspect for shipping cargo across the seas and oceans (~ 50% of the operational cost). More efficient shipping routes, taking into account local weather conditions and the presence of other ships (e.g. congestion around ports, locks, canals and narrow straits), can reduce fuel consumption up to 10% on long haul routes. This has led to a need for accurate and timely information on the position and heading of the total global shipping traffic. As a ‘free’ side-effect, the reduction in fuel consumption directly leads to a reduction in CO2 emissions. _x000D__x000D_This project will focus on the technological developments that are required in order to implement the AIS technology from space. The end-goal of this project is to have designs and algorithms for an advanced space-based AIS receiver. In order to reach this goal, two CO questions have to be answered:_x000D__x000D_• What is the behavior of the AIS receiver in space? The ability of the AIS receiver to perform its function well in the space environment needs to be researched, as well as the performance of advanced algorithms that take into account AIS message collisions, Doppler and susceptibility to interference. ISIS is already developing an early prototype of an AIS receiver structure in which these algorithms can be tested._x000D_• What is the (radio frequency) environment that the AIS receiver will encounter in space? As the AIS receiver needs to be insensitive to interference from external sources it is important to know which sources are causing interference in the frequency bands used. This data is currently not available. _x000D__x000D_These questions will be answered by developing two experiments that will be launched in space using a small 3 kg nanosatellite based on the CubeSat standard (see appendix), to perform in-orbit research on efficient algorithm in a real environment and the monitoring of interference in-situ. _x000D__x000D_In the project, there will be cooperation on the level of customer-supplier and a cooperation between companies on R&D level to increase the technical expertise. Royal Dirkzwager, a Dutch maritime information service provider, is offering high value data products to its customers based on ground-based AIS. Dirkzwager will participate in the project in a customer role as they would like to extend their data services to transition areas and the high seas not covered by shore-based AIS. _x000D_A number of SME's are active in the field of low-cost small satellite technology in Europe. These companies will jointly develop the spacecraft elements required to support the experiments that will be performed in space in this project. This project offers an excellent opportunity for these SMEs to establish a valuable, long-term consortium for small satellite applications in Europe. Apart from ISIS, these companies are GomSpace from Denmark, a specialist in nano-satellite control technology, and Clydespace from Scotland, a specialist in power system technology for small spacecraft. _x000D__x000D_If the advanced AIS receiver design is finalized, the parties expect to be able to have a constellation of satellites operational within 18 months.
| Acronym | SB-AIS (Reference Number: 4617) |
| Duration | 06/04/2009 - 18/04/2013 |
| Project Topic | The project researches the use of a low-cost space infrastructure to monitor global shipping traffic outside the coastal areas in order to reduce the operating cost and fuel consumption of ships. The performance of the required receivers in the space environment is researched in this project. |
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Project Results (after finalisation) |
The project has resulted in a nano-satellite being co-developed by the Ps with the capability to track ships from space. For GomSpace specifically this has led to development of new products related to on-board computing and attitude control, as well as increased capabilities due to the learning from the process of this project._x000D__x000D_GomSpace has already successfully commercialized these new products and capabilities and we continue to operate with the project Ps on a number of commercial projects. |
| Network | Eurostars |
| Call | Eurostars Cut-Off 2 |
Project partner
| Number | Name | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Clyde Space Ltd | Partner | United Kingdom |
| 4 | GomSpace ApS | Partner | Denmark |
| 4 | ISIS - Innovative Solutions In Space B.V. | Coordinator | Netherlands |
| 4 | Koninklijke Scheepsagentuur Dirkzwager B.V. | Partner | Netherlands |