Spire Unveils Plans for ADS-B Constellation to Orbit by 2019

December 6, 2016 |Satellite

Spire plans to launch roughly 25 automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) satellites next year and another 50 in 2018 as it plans to start a satellite-based global aircraft tracking service, Spire AirSafe, the company announced Monday. Spire said the system for tracking ADS-B equipped aircraft will be in operation before the U.S. domestic ADS-B mandate in 2020. Rival Aireon also said it hopes to have its ADS-B constellation deployed by 2018 (see 1602250048).