CANEUS Shared Small Satellites for Collective Safety, Security and Prosperity
- Paper number
IAC-11,B4,1,12,x11981
- Author
Dr. Milind Pimprikar, CANEUS, Canada
- Year
2011
- Abstract
The CANEUS Shared Small Satellites for Collective Safety, Security and Prosperity (CSSP) is a concept for a space-based communications infrastructure owned and operated by a multi-national cooperative. The capability envisions data collection from electronic tracking systems and extraction from distributed sensors to enhance partners’ safety and security. The system employs a network of simple ground terminals and nano-satellites (~10kg satellite mass) to provide communications access to unmonitored maritime and border regions (MBR). Access to the entire communications capacity is available to partner nations that contribute materially to thus providing a significant return on the individual investment of any participating partner. The multi-national, shared infrastructure promotes cooperation, trust and encourages sharing of data to the mutual benefit of the partners. The intent of this paper is to provide background on the concept of Shared Small Satellites and invite international participation. The world’s oceans, seas, and waterways are trade routes that are increasingly threatened by non-state actors, perpetrating criminal acts of terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking, over-fishing, pollution, illegal immigration and other abuses to international cooperation and law. To date, it has not been possible to establish a sufficiently affordable and transparent capability to allow a global cooperative framework of MBR situational awareness. This paper describes a concept called CANEUS Shared Small Satellites (CSSP) whose purpose is to serve as the initial foundation for an international framework to establish global, transparent, cooperative and persistent situational MBR awareness. Existing and proposed commercial terrestrial and space systems lack transparency for all international partners and are driven either by profit incentives or hampered by classification and sharing issues inherent with intelligence collection assets. The CANEUS CSSP concept proposes to provide access to both the Automatic Identification System (AIS) electronic ship tracking system and sensor data extracted remotely from thousands of unattended maritime and terrestrial sensors through a constellation of 30 nano-satellites1 and supporting ground terminals. The spacecraft, ground terminals and sensors would be managed by an international consortium of participating nations with the cost of the entire system shared through fractional ownership. This fractional ownership would allow nations with austere finances and technical infrastructure to monitor their MBRs. The establishment of this situational awareness would then allow all participating nations to enhance their own security and protect their economic interests.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
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