At Sevastopol State University, an alternative to the American Iridium satellite system will be created for transmitting data from marine drifters and buoys. Currently, the collection of information from oceanographic buoys in Russia mainly depends on the foreign Iridium system: domestic solutions for small-sized marine stations are under development. Igor Kartsan, Doctor of Technical Sciences, a researcher at the Department of Information Security of SevSU, received a grant to adapt the Russian Gonets mobile satellite communication system for operation at sea. Preliminary tests have already been carried out: the team tested terminals in marine conditions that were originally created for road transport.
From car terminals to marine ones: the problem of dimensions
Tests of car subscriber terminals of the Gonets system in real marine conditions showed that the device works, but its size and energy consumption turned out to be excessive for installation on autonomous buoys and drifters. At the same time, the very principle of data transmission through the low-orbit Russian satellite constellation was recognized as suitable for solving the problems of oceanography and monitoring of water areas.
Now the SevSU team faces the task of creating a specialized terminal adapted in terms of weight and size characteristics and energy consumption specifically for marine applications. The development of a prototype will be undertaken by the university's industrial partner. Final tests will take place at a small-sized marine station in real conditions - without reference to coastal infrastructure and external power sources.
RSF grant and award from the Cosmonautics Federation
The work is being carried out within the framework of a grant from the Russian Science Foundation. At the stage of preliminary design, the research results have already received recognition from the professional community: the team was awarded the highest award of the Russian Cosmonautics Federation.
The Gonets system is the only Russian low-orbit mobile satellite communication system designed for data transmission, monitoring and emergency alerting. It has been in operation since 2015, but its subscriber equipment has long been focused on stationary, transport and portable options for land use. The marine version of the terminal was not available until now. Unlike Iridium, where there is a line of specialized marine devices with low power consumption and compact antennas, the Russian analogue has yet to go through the same adaptation path.