High Bandwidth Images Transmitted Over Satellites From The Aircraft

For the first time, high bandwidth video and HD imagery were transmitted over a Ku-band satellite from a twin engine, four seat DA42 MPP aircraft.

The flight took place Wednesday, conducted by SCOTTY Group Austria, Diamond Airborne Sensing, and ViaSat Incorporated after comprehensive ground trials and aerodynamics tests. The success of this maiden flight satisfies customer demands for increased live beyond line-of-sight sensor information from a very small platform.  It means the entire SCOTTY communication and surveillance suite is now available at over 1 Mbit per second so that customers can receive the highest quality live video, imagery, and data transmission from the air for critical long-distance missions such as border and coastal patrol, ISR, and search & rescue.
 
The flight also means that customers attending the upcoming Paris Air Show (June 17-20) can witness the higher quality live video and imagery live from Austria.
 
The new Ku-band system  includes a ViaSat mechanically steered satellite tracking antenna mounted on the top of the DA42 MPP and the SCOTTY communications rack in the aft stowage compartment.  It transmits live video and HD still imagery from the observation turret (TV and thermal), targeting and tracking information, and other mission data in real-time.  Furthermore, because the connection is duplex, commanders on the ground can access airborne sensors remotely and interact with pilots and crew.  The network is IP based and can be encrypted.

(Image provided by The Scotty Group)

FMI: www.scottygroup.com