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I was reading about ADS-B, FlightAware and Aireon [1] earlier. Apparently they've completed a network of satellites in January 2019 and can now monitor (ADS-B

by warp 7y ago

I was reading about ADS-B, FlightAware and Aireon [1] earlier. Apparently they've completed a network of satellites in January 2019 and can now monitor (ADS-B equipped) aircraft anywhere over earth? Does anyone know more about how this works, does that mean we will never have a MH370-like situation again because nowadays aircraft can be tracked much better? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aireon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aireon

rtkwe 7y ago
Depends on how it's set up precisely, ADS-B will still require power from somewhere. At some point in MH370's flight all the power systems were turned off for a bit so unless it's connected to it's own battery and ADS-B would still be disconnected.
- saluki 7y ago
  y, it should be required for all airliners to have a tracking system that can not be disabled from inside the plane, and has a backup power system. For situations like this, hijackings, etc. Also seems like streaming black box data and even cock pit recordings would already be something that is standard. As a backup/additional data to the physical black boxes. That could be accessed right away or even in real time.
  - erobbins 7y ago
    Maybe, but having an electronic system on an airliner that can't be disabled could potentially lead to a fire that can't be extinguished and that's why you can shut down every system as the pilot.
    - blytt 7y ago
      It seems reasonable to transmit as much info, including who initiated the shutdown, at that point so that you can at least attempt to attribute the reason the transponder went offline.
      - rtkwe 7y ago
        How do you do that when power is ultimately controlled by a bank of physical breakers?
        saluki 7y ago
        Maybe power it the way the black box is powered, a stand alone system that transmits location and data that is typically also logged to the black boxes. I'm sure satellite coverage is an issue with getting data in remote areas, maybe SpaceX's StarLink system could provide a way to stream data from airliners in more locations.
        rtkwe 7y ago
        No I'm asking how do you put attribution to the physical flipping of a breaker especially against someone just cutting the whole electrical system out at the same time with a master breaker. Satellite coverage isn't really an issue there's already stuff like Inmarsat's network that covers all but basically the poles. [0] Has SpaceX advertised or said anything about covering the poles? I doubt they will just because there are so few customers. [0] https://www.inmarsat.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Inmarsat_C_Mini_C_and_Fleet_77_Coverage_April_2019_EN_LowRes.jpg https://www.inmarsat.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Inmarsat...
stephen_g 7y ago
The pilot can switch off the ADS-B transponder, so assuming that MH370 was intentional (which seems to be the best explanation), no, this could still happen.

by warp 7y ago

rtkwe 7y ago

Depends on how it's set up precisely, ADS-B will still require power from somewhere. At some point in MH370's flight all the power systems were turned off for a bit so unless it's connected to it's own battery and ADS-B would still be disconnected.

saluki 7y ago
y, it should be required for all airliners to have a tracking system that can not be disabled from inside the plane, and has a backup power system. For situations like this, hijackings, etc. Also seems like streaming black box data and even cock pit recordings would already be something that is standard. As a backup/additional data to the physical black boxes. That could be accessed right away or even in real time.
- erobbins 7y ago
  Maybe, but having an electronic system on an airliner that can't be disabled could potentially lead to a fire that can't be extinguished and that's why you can shut down every system as the pilot.
  - blytt 7y ago
    It seems reasonable to transmit as much info, including who initiated the shutdown, at that point so that you can at least attempt to attribute the reason the transponder went offline.
    - rtkwe 7y ago
      How do you do that when power is ultimately controlled by a bank of physical breakers?
      - saluki 7y ago
        Maybe power it the way the black box is powered, a stand alone system that transmits location and data that is typically also logged to the black boxes. I'm sure satellite coverage is an issue with getting data in remote areas, maybe SpaceX's StarLink system could provide a way to stream data from airliners in more locations.
        rtkwe 7y ago
        No I'm asking how do you put attribution to the physical flipping of a breaker especially against someone just cutting the whole electrical system out at the same time with a master breaker. Satellite coverage isn't really an issue there's already stuff like Inmarsat's network that covers all but basically the poles. [0] Has SpaceX advertised or said anything about covering the poles? I doubt they will just because there are so few customers. [0] https://www.inmarsat.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Inmarsat_C_Mini_C_and_Fleet_77_Coverage_April_2019_EN_LowRes.jpg https://www.inmarsat.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Inmarsat...

stephen_g 7y ago

The pilot can switch off the ADS-B transponder, so assuming that MH370 was intentional (which seems to be the best explanation), no, this could still happen.