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ISS ship-tracker operating alongside Norwegian satellite

26 August 2010

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Experiment ship detection from orbit is being carried out continously from ESA's Columbis module attached to the ISS. An external antenna is connected to two internal receivers, picking up Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals from ship transponders. The two receivers are being operated on an alternating basis, switching every three months. Each was designed by a separate Norway and Luxembourg-based consortia - the animation here, acquired on 2 June, comes from the Norwegian NORAIS receiver.

Credits: FFI

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The first Norwegian satellite developed in Norway, AISSat-1 was launched on 12 July 2010. It is being used to detect AIS signals from ocean-going traffic in conjunction with a comparable experiment aboard ESA's Columbus module of ISS.

Credits: Norwegian Space Centre

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Astronaut Randolph Bresnik seen during Atlantis EVA-2 on 21 November 2009 with the unfurled AIS antenna, attached to Columbus to be used for experimental tracking of VHF signals of ships at sea.

Credits: NASA

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European USOCs

Credits: ESA

Technology

Columbus laboratory