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TGIR Mobility Award Nomination Airborne Internet Award Ceremony Video (20Mb MPEG file) OAT Program Connection:
Goal(s)
- 1 to 4: Primary: Goal 1 - Revolutionize
Aviation
Secondary: Goal
4 - Commercialize Technology Enabling
Objective(s) 1 to 10: Primary:
5-Mobility Secondary: 4-Capacity
Tertiary: 1-Safety Program/Project:
Airspace
Systems Program / Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) Briefly describe program/project and connection to OAT Goals and Objectives: The limited
capability and functionality of today’s National Airspace System’s
(NAS) Communications, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) infrastructure
does not support the SATS requirements, thereby preventing intercity
door-to-door mobility from being enhanced, an OAT objective.
NASA’s Glenn Research Center in partnership with the FAA, NASA
LaRC, and Industry led the development of a new CNS system that delivers
aviation information services in an internet-like manner to aircraft and
ground facilities as interconnected nodes on a high-speed digital
communications network. This
revolutionary, integrated CNS concept is defined as the Airborne
Internet and was developed to enable SATS Program CNS services.
The resultant Internet Protocol (IP)-based Airborne Internet
design and development allows intelligence redistribution from
centralized to distributed nodes, thus enabling SATS Operating
Capabilities of Higher Volume Operations and Single Pilot Workload, the
key factors to increasing the Nation’s mobility via SATS and,
eventually, commercial aviation. The
Airborne Internet’s fundamental characteristics include: client server
with confirmed delivery notification features; a robust high-capacity
aviation information system for both air traffic control and safety
advisories; integrated CNS; worldwide compatibility; seamless
peer-to-peer connectivity; and high bandwidth and data rates.
The Airborne Internet was completed to Technology Readiness Level
(TRL) 6. The next stage underway involves transferring the Airborne
Internet technology to a newly formed SATSLab Airborne Internet
Consortium for experimental evaluations and commercialization. Technical Accomplishments:
To date, CNS systems have been proprietary, separate stove-piped,
centralized air-ground networks. The
NASA GRC-developed SATS Airborne Internet charts unexplored,
revolutionary aviation domains by providing a means to reduce avionics
equipage cost while bringing all users, from general to commercial
aviation, into a common integrated system. It is an Internet Protocol (IP)-based design providing for
intelligent redistribution from centralized to distributed nodes.
Ultimately, SATS volume and functional capabilities are enhanced,
and Single Pilot Workload is reduced; these are keys to improving
mobility by reducing intercity door-to-door travel time.
The Airborne Internet incorporates major commercial off-the-shelf
technologies from the telecommunications industry into a revolutionary
aviation environment for CNS and Internet Services.
The Airborne Internet is a distributed, self-organizing network
based upon peer-to-peer relationships of the Internet and on Open
Systems Interconnect Models. It
achieves a peer-to-peer communications method based upon the autonomous
address discovery that is decentralized and independent of ground
facilities. Its integrated
approach supports multiple aviation applications through the use of
common open systems protocols that allow real-time positively
acknowledged access to critical services (i.e. weather, flight plan
filing and clearances, pilot advisories) via a high-speed digital
communications network. The
Airborne Internet has the potential of being an air-to-air centric
system as well as an air-to-ground centric system.
The Airborne Internet development had four phases.
First, its architecture development began with an operations
concept and infrastructure assessment of the current NAS CNS systems for
its ability to accommodate SATS objectives.
This assessment included a National Air Space modernization plan
analysis and available government and/or commercial spectrum to
determine whether Airborne Internet objectives could be accommodated.
Second, the Airborne Internet requirements definition of
operational capabilities, including the requirements between airborne,
ground vehicles, and Air Traffic Control and Airline Operating Center
systems was developed. Third, a capability assessment was conducted including
hardware, software and other system prototype elements that would
support a large number of simultaneous aircraft operations.
At this stage, the effort was heavily peer-reviewed and received
strong support. The fourth
and final stage was experimental equipment completion for NASA
Langley’s aircraft and ground facility, leading to full-scale SATS
demonstrations. Leadership
and Organizational Accomplishments: In addition to the above excellent technical achievements, this team provided exemplary leadership to overcome significant funding and schedule challenges. External constraints on the SATS Program denied Airborne Internet funding beyond the first year. Though initially devastating, four critical management actions contributed to its ultimate success: 1) Glenn continued its project management and engineering support due to its commitment to the Airborne Internet’s promise on a larger scale for developing the Next Generation CNS Capability identified in the “Final Report of the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry”; 2) Langley continued to identify the Airborne Internet as a SATS enabler and contributed facilities to house equipment for aircraft and ground station build up; 3) the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Technical Center provided internal funds to support the effort; and, 4) the Contractor team advocated and supported the effort with internal resources. With this strong commitment from the entire team, the Airborne Internet has been demonstrated within its original schedule and will be available to support future SATS demonstrations. Finally, a SATS Airborne Internet Consortium was created to insure the Airborne Internet’s future and provide a forum for facilitating identification and use of low cost IP technologies in SATS aircraft and infrastructure in current and planned SATS experiments. The Consortium also generates support for technology guidelines, standards and certification in SATS aircraft and infrastructure. |
Team
Member Information
|
NAME |
ORG. |
ADDRESS |
PHONE |
FAX
|
E-MAIL |
|
James
H. Griner |
NASA
GRC |
21000
Brookpark Rd. Cleve,
OH 44135 |
216-433-5787 |
216-433-6371 |
|
|
Michael
J. Zernic |
NASA
GRC |
21000
Brookpark Rd. Cleve,
OH 44135 |
216-433-5286 |
216-433-2995 |
|
|
Denise
S. Ponchak |
NASA
GRC |
21000
Brookpark Rd. Cleve,
OH 44135 |
216-433-3465 |
216-433-6371 |
|
|
Konstanstinos
S. Martzaklis |
NASA
GRC |
21000
Brookpark Rd. Cleve,
OH 44135 |
216-433-8966 |
216-433-6371 |
|
|
Richard
C. Grube |
NASA
LaRC |
1
South Wright St. Hampton,
VA 23681 |
757-864-5956 |
757-864-9714 |
|
|
Charles
Howell |
NASA
LaRC |
1
South Wright St. Hampton,
VA 23681 |
757-864-3974 |
757-864-9714 |
|
|
Ralph
Yost |
FAA
Technical Center |
Atlantic
City Int'l. Airport Atlantic
City, NJ 08405 |
609-485-5637 |
n/a |
|
|
Peter
C. McHugh |
FAA |
NASA
LaRC M.S. 114 Hampton,
VA 23681 |
757
864-8490 |
757
864-8864 |
|
|
James
R. Branstetter |
FAA |
NASA
LaRC M.S. 114 Hampton,
VA 23681 |
757-864-6396 |
757-864-1908 |
|
|
Chris
A. Wargo, President |
Computer
Networks & Software, Inc. (CNS) |
7405
Alban Station Court, Suite B225 Springfield,
VA 22150 |
703-644-2103 |
703-644-2309 |
|
|
Dr.
Chris Dhas |
Computer
Networks & Software, Inc. (CNS) |
7405
Alban Station Court, Suite B225 Springfield,
VA 22150 |
703-644-2103 |
703-644-2309 |
|
|
Crispin
Ntto |
Computer
Networks & Software, Inc. (CNS) |
7405
Alban Station Court, Suite B225 Springfield,
VA 22150 |
703-644-2103 |
703-644-2309 |
|
|
Thomas
Mulkerin, President |
Mulkerin
Associates Inc. (MAI) |
7405
Alban Station Court, Suite B-201 Springfield,
VA 22150 |
703-644-5660 |
703-644-5694 |
|
|
Jim
Hurlburt |
Mulkerin
Associates Inc. (MAI) |
7405
Alban Station Court, Suite B-201 Springfield,
VA 22150 |
703-644-5660 |
703-644-5694 |
|
|
Robert
Magee |
Mulkerin
Associates Inc. (MAI) |
7405
Alban Station Court, Suite B-201 Springfield,
VA 22150 |
703-644-5660 |
703-644-5694 |
|
|
Wendell
Craig |
Mulkerin
Associates Inc. (MAI) |
7405
Alban Station Court, Suite B-201 Springfield,
VA 22150 |
703-644-5660 |
703-644-5694 |
|
|
David
Witchey, President |
AvCS
Research Ltd. |
3065
E. Smiley Rd Shelby,
OH 44875 |
419-342-7322 |
n/a |
|
|
James
Meer, President |
Microflight,
Inc. |
7706
Maryland Avenue Bethesda,
MD 20817 |
301-320-9755 |
n/a |
|
|
Prasad
Nair, President |
Project
Management Enterprises, Inc. (PMEI) |
7900
Wisconsin Ave. Bethesda,
MD 20814 |
301-652-5306 |
301-652-4571 |
|
|
Steven
Friedman, Chief System Architect |
ADSI,
Inc. |
7900
Wisconsin Ave. Bethesda,
MD 20814 |
301-652-5306 |
301-652-4571 |
|
|
Wendell
Turner, Software and Integration Engineer |
ADSI,
Inc. |
7900
Wisconsin Ave. Bethesda,
MD 20814 |
301-652-5306 |
301-652-4571 |
|
|
R.
Andrew Pickens, President |
AvCom,
Inc |
2206
Forest Ridge Road Timonium,
MD 21093 |
410-252-8540 |
410-252-2469 |
|
|
Manu
Khanna, President |
Comptel,
Inc. |
2265
Kings Garden Way Falls
Church, VA 22043 |
703-582-7817 |
n/a |
|
|
Paul
Kelleher, Director Business Development |
Architecture
Technologies Corporation (ATC) |
601
Indiana Avenue, NW (4th Floor) Washington,
DC 20004 |
202-393-0330 x170 |
n/a |
|
|
Noel
Schmidt, VP Engineering |
Architecture
Technologies Corporation (ATC) |
9971
Valley View Rd Eden
Prairie, MN 55344 |
952-829-5864 |
952-829-5871 |
|
|
Matt
Stillerman |
Architecture
Technologies Corporation (ATC) |
33
Thornwood Dr, #500 Ithaca,
NY 14850 |
607-257-1975 |
607-257-1972 |
|
|
Frank
Adelstein |
Architecture
Technologies Corporation (ATC) |
33
Thornwood Dr, #500 Ithaca,
NY 14850 |
607-257-1975 |
607-257-1972 |
|
|
Paul
Mallasch |
Tectura
Corporation |
14205
SE 36th Street Bellevue,
WA 98006 |
425-957-4214 |
425-957-4201 |
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