AlliedSignal Worldwide AIRSAT 1 Selected for NASA Research Program

AlliedSignal said Sunday that its new AIRSAT 1, an airborne telephone system that will use the Iridium global satellite communications network, has been selected by NASA for its Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM--Tropics B), slated for March and April 1999.

"AIRSAT 1 represents a breakthrough in satellite communications because it provides global coverage at a price that will bring worldwide voice communications within the reach of a greater number of aircraft owners and operators ranging from piston to high-end turbine," said Michel Gelinas, AlliedSignal Iridium sales and marketing manager.

"The experience we gain in working with NASA on this ambitious project will be invaluable as we develop other Iridium products and services," Gelinas said.

The Iridium system allows operators to use existing land-based wireless systems to provide voice, paging and data communications in urban areas and to access the worldwide reach of 66 satellites in low-Earth orbit (420 nmi) virtually anywhere on earth. AIRSAT 1 will provide corporate, general aviation and other customers with air-to-air, ground-to-air and air-to-ground voice communications.

"The AIRSAT 1 system is a revolutionary solution for private aircraft operators, providing affordable and global communications accessibility at all times," said Neal Meehan, Iridium VP for aeronautical services.

"With key industry leaders such as AlliedSignal, Iridium is proud to adapt its world-class satellite network to the specialized needs of the aviation industry," Meehan said.

NASA's PEM-Tropics B mission is an element of the agency's Tropospheric Chemistry Program, a research and analysis to study the impact of humans on the chemistry of the troposphere.

The AIRSAT 1 telephones will be installed on an Orion P3B, a Lockheed C-130 and a McDonnell Douglas DC-8 that will conduct data-gathering flights in the Pacific Rim area.

"For our scientists conducting atmospheric experiments aboard the aircraft, direct communications during flight operations to discuss their respective observations will offer a new capability to the overall mission and, to some extent, will be an experiment in itself," NASA spokesman James Hoell said.

"Our decision to use the Iridium satellite system was based upon availability, cost and simplicity of the installed voice links onto the NASA aircraft," Hoell said.

While AIRSAT 1 provides voice-only communications, AlliedSignal says it will develop a multi-channel AIRSAT product to support the free-flight operating environment. The Iridium system is designed to comply with all CNS/ATM and Aeronautical Mobile Satellite (Route) Service specifications and regulations as they currently are defined.

By Jim Street