SPACE BASED NETWORK FOR DETECTION AND MONITORING OF GLOBAL MARITIME SHIPPING USING AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

摘要

A spaced-based system to simultaneously track and monitor one or more ocean going vessels at any point on the earth includes a plurality of satellites. Each satellite includes an AIS communications payload to receive AIS signals which have AIS information transmitted from the one or more vessels and to transmit the received AIS information. The system includes ground earth elements that each have a receiver to receive the AIS information transmitted from one or more of the plurality of satellites and globally track and monitor the one or more vessels based on the AIS information received from the communications payload. The satellites are distributed in two or more orbital planes located at a substantially common altitude and at a substantially common inclination.