Maritime Communication Experiments and Search-and-Rescue Evaluations with the NASA ATS-6 Satellite. Volume I. Summary.

Maritime satellite communication experiments were conducted by this Center using the NASA Applications Technology Satellite-Number 6 ATS-6 from September 1974 through April 1975. The objectives were to acquire a base of satellite technology knowledge applicable to ship-satellite-shore system design and to demonstrate, by means of coordination among several ships, aircraft, and groundshore control centers, some operational uses of satellites for ATC and SAR applications. Volume I provides a brief description of the ATS-6 experiments along with a description of the shipboard terminal equipment used in the experiments. The ATS-6 satellite maritime technology experiments have produced data which will be used in preparing specifications of ship terminals for possible future operational satellite systems. Evaluations were made of a shipboard antenna design, various types of voice, data, and ranging modulations, and the effects of multipath reflections off the sea and the ship superstructure. The safety demonstration experiments are expected to aid in evaluating the effectiveness of satellite communications in maritime safety-of-life-at-sea applications. In these tests, the satellite-to-ship link was used in a typical search and rescue incident along with the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon Buoy which initiated the distress alert.