The Aerosonde Global Reconnaissance System
www.aerosonde.com
Greg Holland
Presentation Summary
• Aircraft• Operating System• Instrumentation• Global Operations• Wallops Facility
The Mark 3 Aerosonde
50 cm
Range > 3000kmGPS navigationEndurance > 30 hSurface to 7 km
Wingspan 2.9 m
24cc Fuel Injected Engine
Autonomous
Sat or RadioComms
13-15 kg
www.aerosonde.com
The AeroGuard
• Role: Tactical Reconnaissance and Surveillance;
• Uniqueness: Range, flexibility, cost
Aerosonde Niche
Endurance varies with aircraft configuration.
Only small, long-endurance UAV in operation at present.
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10
20
30
40
50
60
- 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0
Wing Span (m)
En
du
ran
ce
(h
)
Predator/Altus
Global Hawk
Helios
BlackWidow
Source Shephard’s UAV Handbook
Aerosonde
Aerosonde Operational Mode
Forward Control Station
Iridium
LOS UHF Radio operation to 200 km
Launch from unprepared sites
Global Operation using Iridium Satcom LOS UHF Radio
operation to 200 km
CommandCenter
Able to transfer between each mode as required
Operations Example
Launch and Recovery
PI
CommandCenter
UHF Radio
Internet
Satcomsand Internet
Command Centre
Aerosonde Virtual Field EnvironmentUser Friendly,
Internet Access
Launch and Recovery Site
Preparation
Local Command Equipment
Launch
www.aerosonde.com
Recovery
Wide variety of surfaces:
Tarmac, Grass, gravel, sand. Salt, ice and snow
Aerosonde Global Operations1995-2003
Aerosonde Instrumentation
Standard Met (PTU and Winds), Vis/IR still and video, Surface Temperature, Atmospheric Chemistry, EW; Laser altimetry, Radio Relay, SAR
Aerosonde observations are of comparable accuracy to those obtained from Radiosondes (Australian Bureau of
Meteorology Field Analysis 2000)
~0.1 hPa, ~0.2C, ~2-5%RH and ~1 m/s
Met Instrument Accuracy
Met Observations
Before Frontal Passage
Gradual CoolingAfter Front
Icing Conditions: Potential Icing Moderate Icing
SST Measurements off Barrow, Alaska
Flight Path
SST Analysis fromAerosonde observations(J. Inoue, Personal Comm)
Arctic Ice and Surface Temperature Mapping
Surveillance of Cassini Island
Cassini Island
Concept of the WUAVF
• Concept:– Fully staffed facility based out of Wallops,
but with a fully mobile capacity to operate anywhere;
– Operated by Aerosonde North America under a collaborative agreement with NASA;
– An initial block of flight hours available.
Concept of the WUAVF
• Usage:– Part of a Global Network;
– Support for Users/Commercial Operations;
– 24h deployment to support emergencies;
– Educational and Training Tool.
Educational Themes
• Graduate:– Opportunity to work with the full operation, as
an engineer, meteorologist, or oceanographer;
• Undergraduate:Undergraduate:– Capacity for undergraduate class projects,
which can be utilised for system development;
• Middle-Senior School– Self-learning Interactive Modules designed to
engender interest and basic knowledge in both UAVs and meteorology.
Concept of the WUAVF
• Issues:– Environmental issues…none;
– Air Traffic Regulations;
– Range Safety Requirements.
Summary
• Small, Flexible Aircraft;• Sophisticated Operations
System;• Variety of Deployment
Opportunities;• Excellent Educational
Tool.
The WUAVF Aerosonde Operation Provides:
The Global Network
Melbourne(Aerosonde)
Hawaii(UH)
Wallops(NASA)
Guam(USAF)
Kadena(USAF)
Alaska(NSF/USAF)
• Australian UAV aviation regulations established 2003.
• Aerosonde has obtained full AOC approval, with Certificate Number VT585156-U-01 being issued on 30 May 2003
Aerosonde Pty Ltd is the only international Aerosonde Pty Ltd is the only international UAV operator with regulatory certificationUAV operator with regulatory certification
Air Operators Certificate
Operations completed under air traffic regulations in:Operations completed under air traffic regulations in:USA, Canada, Marianas, Solomons, Taiwan, Japan, USA, Canada, Marianas, Solomons, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Scotland, Portugal.Hong Kong, South Korea, Scotland, Portugal.