Page 28 - World Airnews Magazine October Edition 2020

P. 28

SATELLITE NEWS

AN AFRICAN SATELLITE

SIGNAL

PARACHUTING

FROM

A SOLAR-

POWERED PLANE

By J. George Gorant

It will also include early precise point bitious programme to provide satellite

he Agency for Air Navigation Safety to populations, which performance will be Ocean region. The use of our geostationary

Tin Africa and Madagascar, ASECNA proven through other demonstrations. communication satellite NIGCOMSAT-1R planned for the summer on the way to its

navigation payload to broadcast the first

has started to broadcast a SBAS or satel- The signal-in-space is generated by a ded- signal will be Africa’s premier contribution ultimate goal: reaching near space. record of note, especially since higher alti-

tudes allow planes to reach higher speeds,

lite-based augmentation system signal over icated system testbed, developed as part to SBAS as a regional satellite-based aug- “The next flights should take place early while using less power.

Africa and the Indian Ocean region. of the “SBAS for Africa and Indian Ocean” mentation system for the continent,” said he SolarStratos, a 28-foot (8.5m) next year,” Bernard Schopfer, the project’s It won’t be easy.

This provides the first SBAS open service preliminary design phase, financed by the Abimbola Alale, CEO of NIGCOMSAT Ltd. Ttwo-seater with an 81-foot (24.7m) director of communications said.

The SolarStratos first launched in 2016,
in this part of the world via the NIGCOM- European Union and awarded to Thales “Our longstanding expertise acquired wingspan, took off from Payerne, Swit- “High-altitude flights will follow, with an but after a stress test produced a crack in

Alenia Space, a joint venture between
SAT-1R satellite managed and operated by Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%). with the development of EGNOS1 SBAS in zerland, in the last days of August, using attempt to reach the stratosphere most the wing in 2018, the project went on a

the Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd Europe and KASS SBAS in Korea combined nothing more than the power of the sun. likely in 2022,” he added. two-year hiatus while structural redesigns
under the federal ministry of communica- The “SBAS for Africa and Indian Ocean” is with our new leading-edge satellite posi- When it reached a height of 5,000 feet, Global air travel produces 915 million
tions and digital economy of Nigeria. based on the European EGNOS [1] devel- tioning technologies makes Thales Alenia (1 500m) its founder and co-pilot, Raphaël tons of carbon dioxide a year, more than took place.

This early open service is provided as part oped by the European Space Agency acting space the ideal partner to best support Domjan, jumped out, becoming the first two percent of all human-generated green- The improved version launched in July,

of the ‘SBAS for Africa and Indian Ocean’ under delegation of the European Commis- countries to implement their own SBAS person to successfully parachute from an house gas, according to the Air Transport using a 20-kW lithium-ion battery powered

programme which pursues the autono- sion and operated by the European GNSS effi ciently.” electric aircraft. Action Group. Some forecasts predict that by 237 sq. ft. of solar panels.

mous provision over the continent to help Agency GSA. “The equatorial region represents also a “I am very proud of this achievement,” number could more than triple by 2050. It weighed in at just 992 pounds or (450

the performances of the satellite naviga- The system prototype uses as reference key engineering challenge for such a system Domjan said afterwards. That’s why getting a solar-powered plane kgs). To keep weight down, the plane’s

tion constellations GPS and Galileo. stations network the SAGAIE network due to difficult ionosphere conditions, for “Our aim is to demonstrate the poten- to an elevation of 120,000 feet would be a cabin is not pressurized, which means the

With improved accuracy to within a deployed by CNES and ASECNA with the which Thales Alenia Space has developed a tial of solar energy and electric pilot must wear a spacesuit and
metre and boosted integrity, availability support of Thales Alenia space. proven solution”, said Benoit Broudy, vice mobility. It is a message of hope endure temperatures that could

reach -94 degrees F.

and continuity of safety-related applica- The signal is broadcasted via the SBAS president of navigation business at Thales for future generations: tomorrow

tions, these SBAS services will improve payload on NigComSat 1R GEO satellite of Alenia Space in France. they will still be able to dream Bertrand Piccard, a fellow Swiss

flight safety and efficiency in Africa and the Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd “The provision of the first African SBAS and carry out activities such as national who several years ago

also benefit to the economy in many areas and an uplink station deployed in Abuja early service is a crucial major step forward parachuting without greenhouse circumnavigated the globe in

as land, sea and rail transport, as well as (Nigeria). in the development of satellite navigation gas emissions and in absolute a solar plane, praised the new

mass market applications, supporting user It is compliant to the standards and rec- in the AFI region, and in the deployment silence.” record.

safety, cost-effectiveness and sustainable ommended practices of the International of the ‘SBAS for Africa and Indian Ocean’ It’s unclear if this was a “record” “This project illustrates the

development. Civil Aviation Organisation, and the mini- system, the navigation solution for Africa that anyone else was trying to set, new cycle that now characterizes

The launched open service essential- mum operational performance standard by Africa. It demonstrates the ambition but Domjan’s larger point holds up. aviation, which must imperative-

ly aims to carry-out technical trials and developed by the RTCA (Radio Technical and commitment of ASECNA to enhance SolarStratos is not the first solar ly adapt to renewable energies,”

to undertake with partner airlines field Commission for Aeronautics) organisation. air navigation safety for the benefit of the plane, but it helps prove that solar he said. Q

demonstrations for aircraft and rotorcraft, It will be visible in the whole Africa and whole continent, in line with my vision for aviation is viable and advances

to demonstrate the benefits of the future Indian Ocean, up to the West Australian the unification of the African Sky”, said the technology for solar flight. The Article courtesy: https://

operational safety-of-life SBAS services coast and also in Europe. Mohamed Moussa, director general of parachuting drop was one of about robbreport.com/author/

expected from 2024. “We are proud to be part of this am- ASECNA. Q 20 hops the SolarStratos team had j-george-gorant/
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