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Vessel ID System (Vessel ID System)
04.26.13

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Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Imagery

Experiment Overview

This content was provided by , and is maintained in a database by the ISS Program Science Office.

Information provided courtesy of the Erasmus Experiment Archive.
Brief Summary

The Vessel ID System investigation is designed to demonstrate the ability of a space based radio receiver (using VHF maritime frequency band) to identify ships. Additionally, this investigation demonstrates operability of a simple EVA compatible mechanism, the Grappling Adaptor to On-Orbit Railing (GATOR) device, which is used to attach small passive equipment to external EVA handrails on the International Space Station (ISS). Successful demonstration of these components provides future researchers additional locations on which to mount experiments and may lead to more efficient means of identifying ships at sea.

Principal Investigator(s)

Information Pending

Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

Information Pending

Developer(s)
Information Pending

Sponsoring Space Agency

European Space Agency (ESA)

Sponsoring Organization

Information Pending

Research Benefits

Information Pending

ISS Expedition Duration:

March 2010 - March 2014

Expeditions Assigned

23/24,25/26,27/28,29/30,31/32,33/34,35/36,37/38

Previous ISS Missions

Vessel ID System operations were first scheduled to operate on ISS Increment 21/22.

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Experiment Description

Research Overview

  • The Vessel ID System investigation consists of a simple EVA compatible mechanism to accommodate small passive equipment payloads on the ISS modules equipped with standard EVA handrails, known as Grappling Adaptor to On-Orbit Railing (GATOR).


  • The Vessel ID System also consists of a ship and shore broadcast system which operates in the VHF maritime band, known as the Automatic Identification System (AIS). AIS will demonstrate the space-based identification capability of maritime vessels.

Description

Information Pending

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Applications

Space Applications

Information Pending

Earth Applications

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) for Columbus (known as the Vessel Identification System), is verifying the capability of the system to be used as a method of tracking global maritime traffic from space. Integrating this AIS information with other satellite data, such as from remote-sensing satellites, should significantly improve maritime surveillance, and boost safety and security at sea.

The current ground-based Automatic Identification Systems are only designed to monitor maritime vessels in coastal waters. This capability will be greatly expanded by the Vessel Identification System on Columbus to incorporate maritime traffic in open waters. The Vessel Identification System could potentially be beneficial to many European entities particularly in assisting them in law enforcement, fishery control campaigns, maritime border control, maritime safety and security issues including marine pollution survey, search and rescue and anti-piracy.

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Operations

Operational Requirements

Information Pending

Operational Protocols

Information Pending

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Results/More Information

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Related Websites

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Imagery

Information provided by the investigation team to the ISS Program Scientist's Office.
If updates are needed to the summary please contact JSC-ISS-Program-Science-Group. For other general questions regarding space station research and technology, please feel free to call our help line at 281-244-6187 or e-mail at JSC-ISS-Research-Helpline.
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