A microsatellite for maritime communications, developed by the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Satellite Technology And Research Centre (STAR) and A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research(I2R), was successfully launched into orbit earlier this year from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikotta, India. Compact in size, Lumelite-4 measures 20 x 20 x 30 cm (similar to the size of a laser printer) and weighs just 16 kg.

STAR designed and built the microsatellite using the university’s patented modular and scalable satellite’s bus system with fault-tolerant features, while I2R developed the experimental satellite-based communication hardware. This collaboration signifies the pioneering effort by Singapore researchers to develop a satellite-based high-performance VHF Data Exchange System (VDES), which should significantly improve maritime communications as well as traffic management and analytics. This is also the first known demonstration of satellite-based VDES for maritime applications in Southeast Asia.

Currently, international voyaging ships are fitted with an automatic identification system (AIS), which is an automatic tracking system that uses transceivers on ships for collision avoidance by allowing the maritime authorities to track and monitor vessel movements using broadcast information on identification, location, course and speed. The VDES payload which Lumelite-4 is carrying has several advantages over the current AIS system, such as greater bandwidth, range, accuracy, capacity, security, flexibility and global coverage, making it an attractive solution for maritime operators seeking to enhance communication and operational efficiency.

I2R and ST Engineering had previously developed the VDES Mobile Station, which can achieve an up to 32 times higher data rate than the current AIS system. Supported by terrestrial VDES, the VDES Mobile Station enables higher data throughput as well as higher-quality data delivery among ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore two-way communications. The latest satellite VDES complements the terrestrial VDES to enable a more robust maritime communications service, allowing the tracking of vessels not just in coastal areas but also in high seas and in areas without terrestrial network.

The NUS and A*STAR team started working on the Lumelite-4 project in December 2018, and this year completed the design, assembly, integration and testing of Lumelite-4 with VDES payload. As designed by I2R, the VDES payload can reduce signal interference and increase tracking capability in an anticipated dense environment and low-complexity radio resource management.

The microsatellite was deployed by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) of the Indian Space Research Organisation in April and is now flying at 586 km above sea level on an orbital plane known as the near-equatorial orbit. The launch allows I2R to demonstrate VDES and to validate potential applications of the technology, including real-time maritime traffic and asset tracking as well as two-way messaging, in contrast to the one-way reporting supported by AIS.

“The successful launch of Lumelite-4 marks a new chapter in NUS’s journey into space, and STAR is excited to leverage our knowledge and expertise in satellite technologies in this collaboration with A*STAR’s I2R,” said STAR Director Professor Low Kay Soon. “Over the next few months, the team aims to demonstrate the space-based implementation of high-performance VDES on a small satellite for maritime applications. The success of this mission will further strengthen Singapore’s position as an innovative space technology hub for small satellites.”

“With the Lumelite-4 launch, we are closing the gap to showcase the full operational capability of the VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) with both terrestrial and satellite components, advancing from our earlier development of the VDES Mobile Station,” added Dr Sun Sumei, Acting Executive Director of I2R.

“The experimental microsatellite in orbit will allow A*STAR to test and validate key technologies of the VDES satellite mode, which includes helping maritime operators to monitor and analyse real-time traffic thus enhancing navigational safety and port efficiencies, even in areas without terrestrial network. We look forward to exploring further applications of A*STAR’s technology with NUS and our partners in the ecosystem, to better support the maritime industry.”

Following the successful launch of Lumelite-4, I2R will carry out extensive in-orbit testing of satellite payload with its VDES Mobile Station on the ground to demonstrate the two-way data communication and vessel tracking capability, coupled with maritime traffic analytics, modelling and optimisation capabilities by A*STAR’s Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC). I2R will also continue to leverage capabilities in radio frequency and antenna designs to meet the requirements for compact satellite payloads and ground terminals. Through close partnerships with local and global ecosystem partners, the institute will develop further applications and integrated capabilities to improve e-navigation, port efficiency and shipping operations for maritime safety.