Development of Commercial Space Vehicle Tracking with ADS-B

Automatic Direct Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) can be used to provide seamless integration of space and vehicles and aircraft and for more efficient airspace use as the number of commercial space vehicles operations increase. This proposed Phase II will continue the development of techniques and equipment needed to allow for commercial space vehicles to be tracked via 1090ES ADS-B for international operations, and UAT for US operations and to enable aircraft ADS-B equipment to directly receive signals from space vehicles. In addition, we will study how to continuously and seamless track 1090MHz ADS-B Out equipped space vehicles when they are beyond the range of the FAA ground receiver network using emerging technologies which may include a small satellite constellations. Overall, this proposed effort will study and demonstrate how to safely and efficiently integrate new types of operations including commercial space vehicles as well as drones (UAVs/UASs) into the National Airspace System. A key deliverable will be and advanced prototype ADS-B equipment for flight-testing on a high-altitude balloon or a commercial space vehicle during the course of the Phase II effort demonstrating its capabilities.