Aireon — Space-Based ADS-B
Aireon is a commercial service that provides real-time ADS-B surveillance worldwide using receivers hosted on the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation. For oceanic, remote, and high-latitude airspace where ground radar cannot see, Aireon gives ANSPs near-real-time position, velocity, and identity data on equipped aircraft. The service changed what ATC can do over the Atlantic, the polar regions, and remote Asia-Pacific tracks.
How It Works
66 Iridium NEXT satellites in low Earth orbit each carry an Aireon-sponsored ADS-B receiver. The constellation covers every point on Earth, including polar regions. Aircraft ADS-B Out messages broadcast on 1090 MHz are received by the satellite overhead, relayed through the Iridium cross-link network, and delivered to customer ANSPs within seconds.
Adoption
NAV CANADA and NATS (UK) were among the first to operationalise Aireon-based surveillance, reducing oceanic separation minimums on North Atlantic tracks in 2019. Other adopters include Irish AA, ISAVIA (Iceland), airservices Australia, and Azorean / Cape Verde ANSPs. Integration with FAA and EUROCONTROL is at different stages.
Context After MH370
The 2014 disappearance of MH370 highlighted the gap in oceanic surveillance. Although MH370 was not ADS-B-equipped on the relevant flight and the loss predates Aireon operational service, the event accelerated ICAO and industry focus on closing the coverage gap. Aireon has since become a central component of the answer.
Educational reference. Aireon is a commercial service; operators access via ANSP integration. See Terms of Service.