Ground Exploitation Station for Satellite Based L and X-Band Monitoring for Improved Search & Rescue / Detection of Illegal Maritime Activity

在全球范围内，90%的世界贸易是通过海上运输的。这吸引了一些集团通过海盗行为、非法捕鱼和贩运非法货物非法牟利。每年约有170亿吨货物进口到英国，因此非法活动对经济和直接依赖海上贸易的60万英国就业岗位产生了负面影响。因此，英国政府与世界其他国家合作，减少犯罪对这一宝贵贸易的影响。SOLAS公约要求所有超过300吨的国际船舶安装自动识别系统（AIS）。AIS数据可以通过卫星收集，提供全球10万艘船只的位置和真实的时间。犯罪分子和海盗将禁用AIS，以避免被海岸警卫队发现。然而，当使用卫星电话时，可以使用适当装备的飞机来检测手机的GPS位置。如果手机在没有AIS数据的情况下使用，则可能发生非法活动。Horizon Technologies已经开发出收集卫星手机位置数据的独特能力，我们的技术已经挽救了大约20，000名移民的生命，并成功地发现了犯罪活动。然而，飞机部署是昂贵的，并导致不到1%的全球沃茨被监测，估计每年的成本为1亿英镑。此外，卫星电话可能无法使用。因此，我们与Spire Global建立了合作关系，从2019年开始将我们的技术应用于他们的小型低地球轨道卫星。除了卫星电话定位，我们将能够地理定位所有海上X波段雷达（没有船舶关闭风险碰撞）。该项目旨在开发地面开发站，收集和处理来自“立方体卫星”的所有数据，在全球范围内提供船舶定位和跟踪。因此，地面站是整个系统的关键推动者，成功完成将为上述问题提供完全独特的英国解决方案。该项目将改变我们的业务，5年后累计净收入为4270万英镑。（10倍投资回报率），并创造70多个熟练的英国工作岗位，并将在进一步发展英国工程能力方面发挥宝贵的作用，支持企业多样化，并为出口、经济增长和创造就业提供极好的机会。

Globally, 90% of world trade is transported by sea. This attracts groups seeking to profit illegally through piracy, illegal fishing and trafficking in illicit goods. Around 17 billion tonnes of goods are imported into the UK every year, so illegal activity has a negative impact on the economy and the 600,000 UK jobs that directly depend on maritime trade. Consequently, the UK Government works in partnership with other nations around the world to reduce the impact of crime on this valuable trade.The SOLAS convention requires that all international vessels over 300 tonnes are fitted with Automatic Identification Systems (AIS). AIS data can be gathered by satellites, providing the positions of 100,000's of vessels globally and in real time. Criminals and pirates will disable AISs to avoid detection by coastguards. However, when a satellite phone is used, the GPS position of the handset can be detected using suitably equipped aircraft. If a handset is in use where there is no AIS data, illegal activity is likely taking place.Horizon Technologies has developed unique capability in gathering satellite phone handset location data and our technology has already saved the lives of approximately 20,000 migrants and proven successful in the detection of criminal activity. However, aircraft deployment is expensive and results in less than 1% of global waters being monitored at an estimated cost of £100m per annum. Furthermore, sat phones may not be used.We therefore established a collaboration with Spire Global to launch our technology on their small, low earth orbit satellite, starting in 2019\. In addition to Sat Phone location, we will be able to geolocate all maritime X-band radars (which no ship turns off risking collisions). This project aims at developing the Ground Exploitation Station, where all data from the 'CubeSats' will be gathered and processed, delivering vessel localization and tracking on a global scale. As such, the ground station is the crucial enabler of the whole system and successful completion will deliver a totally unique UK solution to the problems described above.This project will transform our business, generating cumulative net revenues of £42.7m after 5 years (\>10x ROI) and creating over 70 skilled UK jobs and will play a valuable role in further developing UK engineering capability, support business diversification and provide excellent opportunities for export, economic growth and job creation.