Replacement Orbiters To Help Aircrafts Cut Down Emissions

Commercial aircrafts have always relied on radar tracking for navigation, but the trouble with radar is that they have a limited coverage range.  This means that aircrafts have to take longer routes avoiding remote areas. But all this is set to change in 2015 when Iridium Communications will launch replacement orbiters that will be carrying ADS-B transponders. ADS-B radio transmitting system combines aircraft’s call sign, GPS position, speed and altitude into 112-bit digital packets that will be transmitted to the air traffic controllers helping them pin point the aircraft’s location.

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Long haul flights travelling over oceans always have wider routes in order to avoid collisions and this forces them to travel in unfavorable air currents resulting in huge fuel expenditures. According to Dan Mercer of Iridium Communications if air traffic controllers can precisely monitor an aircraft’s position at all times they can direct planes to safely fly closer to each other through efficient routes. According to a study commissioned by the company it has been found out that if the system of satellites is put in place by 2017, by the year 2030 this technology would have helped airlines across the world save $7 billion on fuel and cut down carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions by 35 million tonnes. In association with Nav Canada, Iridium has formed Aireon which be responsible for operation, sales and distribution of these transponder services.

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