Aireon Will Add ADS-B Receivers to Iridium Satellites for Worldwide Aircraft Surveillance

By Matt Thurber • Editor-in-Chief

July 4, 2012

A planned joint venture by Iridium Communications and Nav Canada promises to offerworldwide ADS-B-based air traffic surveillance services using the upcoming Iridium Next satellite network. Iridium said last year that it was considering adding an ADS-B payload to its Iridium Next satellites, which begin launching in 2015 and will be completed in 2017. The Iridium-Nav Canada joint venture, called Aireon, will add 1090ES ADS-B receivers made by Harris to each of the 66 satellites (and backups) destined to form the Iridium Next constellation. Iridium is aware that its choice of the name Aireon sounds the same as supersonic business jet developer Aerion’s moniker when spoken, and in print is only one transposed letter different, but feels that the name “accurately reflects the vision and strategy of the company and works well with various cultures worldwide,” according to an Iridium spokeswoman. Iridium filed the Aireon trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on December 1 last year.

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