RPAsatcoms = Lightweight, affordable, satellite communications for use on small Remotely Piloted Aircraft

我们正在开发小型(翼展4米)遥控飞机(RPA)，用于世界各地的科学、商业(石油、天然气和矿产勘探和生产)和国家(边境巡逻)应用。这些应用中的许多都需要在电信基础设施很少或没有的地区运行RPA第二视线(BLOS)。国际民用航空组织(ICAO)正在起草管理RPA运行的法规，并创造了短语“远程驾驶飞机系统”，以始终强调人类对RPA的责任。为了使RPA能够在偏远地区飞行BLOS，需要使用卫星通信(卫星通信)。在RPA上使用卫星通信也是我们的潜在客户的要求，包括辉固航空测量公司和Sander地球物理公司(世界上最大的地球物理测量公司)以及石油、天然气和采矿勘探和生产公司。我们发现，使用我们已知的最轻的航空卫星数据终端的严重缺点是重量重(3.8公斤)，成本高(约50,000美元)，并且必须使用全向天线，这会在安装在RPA上的附近天线中引入电子干扰。我们建议调查全球市场的性质，以及开发一种更轻、更负担得起的解决方案的财务和技术可行性，该解决方案基于使用安装在计算机控制的万向架上的地面卫星数据终端，以确保具有14°波束宽度的卫星终端天线始终指向地球同步卫星。如果市场分析是积极的，我们的目标是为运行BLOS的自主系统开发这一使能技术，以支持RPA和地面控制站(GCS)之间的双向数据通信。另一个好处将是环境，因为RPA每公里旅行消耗的燃料比他们的同行少。

We are developing small (4 m wingspan) Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) for use throughoutthe world in scientific, commercial (oil, gas and mineral exploration and production) and state(border patrol) applications. Many of these applications require the operation of the RPABeyond Line of Sight (BLOS) in areas with little, or no, telecommunications infrastructure.The International Civil Aviation Organisation, known as ICAO, is drawing up regulationsgoverning the operation of RPA and has coined the phrase "Remotely Piloted AircraftSystem" to emphasise the human responsibility for the RPA at all times. To enable RPA to flyBLOS in a remote area requires the use of satellite communications (satcoms).The use of satcoms on a RPA has also been a requirement of our potential customers,including Fugro Airborne Surveys and Sander Geophysics (the largest geophysical surveycompanies in the world) and oil, gas and mining exploration and production companies.The serious shortcomings we have identified using the lightest airborne satellite data terminalknown to us is the heavy weight (3.8 kg), the high cost (around $50,000) and the necessaryuse of an omnidirectional antenna, that introduces electronic interference in nearby antennasmounted on the RPA. We propose to investigate the nature of the global market and thefinancial and technical feasibility of developing a lighter and more affordable solution, basedon the use of a terrestrial satellite data terminal mounted on a computer controlled gimbal, toensure the satcoms terminal antenna, with a 14° beam width, always points towards thegeostationary satellite.Our aim, should the market analysis be positive, would be to developthis enabling technology for autonomous systems operating BLOS, to support bidirectionaldata communications between the RPA and the Ground Control Station (GCS).Another benefit will be environmental, since RPA use less fuel than their mannedcounterparts per kilometre travelled.