COVINGTON, La., Sept. 16, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Globalstar, Inc. (NYSE MKT:GSAT) and its partner, ADS-B Technologies, LLC have announced the completion of the latest public flight demonstration showcasing their revolutionary Space-Based ADS-B Link Augmentation System (ALAS™).
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=27667
This test, embarking from Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico and back, marked the first time that a flight demonstration tested a dual-link Space-Based ADS-B system in all environments and for extended periods of time. The flight proved that the 1090ES and UAT versions of the ALAS technology work continuously, reporting the aircraft's position every second during a flight of nearly 7,000 miles.
"We are very pleased with the outcome of this latest flight demonstration," said Jay Monroe, Chairman and CEO of Globalstar. "With this test, we have proven that Globalstar can provide a very secure, reliable and low latency platform for space-based tracking of aircraft in real time. Further, with our unique architecture and scalable capacity, the ALAS system will eventually be able to track aircraft virtually anywhere on earth. ALAS technology works in places where there are known gaps in flight tracking ability, like the Gulf of Mexico. This test shows that once certification is received, ALAS can be easily installed as a peripheral to virtually any existing 1090 MHz or 978 MHz avionics source and used to track flights within our current and future global footprint down to the second. Recent aviation events have proven that this technology is needed now more than ever."
"ALAS may also be a more secure form of ADS-B, since the nature of the L-Band transmission and the antenna pattern make the aircraft's ADS-B position reports extremely difficult to intercept, jam or deceive," added Monroe.
The 7,000 mile roundtrip flight was designed to highlight the capabilities of the ALAS technology to provide continuous tracking, even in areas where standard ADS-B avionics would not be able to report. "This flight clearly demonstrated the robustness of the ALAS system, and its viability as an immediate solution for tracking aircraft virtually anywhere at any time," said Skip Nelson, ADS-B Technologies´ President. "We've been working tirelessly on tracking solutions since the loss of Air France 447 in 2009 in hopes that one day, missing aircraft will be a thing of the past. As our tracking map clearly demonstrates, we believe that day has finally arrived."
For more information on ALAS and to view the tracking map from this recent test flight, please visit Globalstar.com/ADS-B.
About Globalstar, Inc.
Globalstar is a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services. Globalstar offers these services to government, commercial and recreational users in more than 120 countries around the world. The Company's products include mobile and fixed satellite telephones, simplex and duplex satellite data modems and flexible service packages. Many land based and maritime industries benefit from Globalstar with increased productivity from remote areas beyond cellular and landline service. Globalstar customer segments include: oil and gas, government, mining, forestry, commercial fishing, utilities, military, transportation, heavy construction, emergency preparedness, and business continuity as well as individual recreational users. Globalstar data solutions are ideal for various asset and personal tracking, data monitoring and SCADA applications.
About ADS-B Technologies, LLC
Founded in 2004, this privately held Anchorage, Alaska based company specializes in just one thing – Commercial Engineering and Consulting services related to the development and deployment of ADS-B and its companion technologies. ADS-B Technologies was the first company to successfully demonstrate 978MHz ADS-B on both the Asian and African continents and today, continues to work worldwide assisting its clients in the employment of this new technology.
The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
