Remote monitoring of military assets using commercial LEO satellites

Abstract

On April 3, 1995 Orbital Communications Corporation (ORBCOMM), a subsidiary of Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC), launched the first two of what will be a constellation of 36 low Earth orbit satellites. Working with OSC, a leading developer of small satellite technology and the low-cost launch systems (the air launched booster Pegasus), ORBCOMM has designed a system to provide low-cost mobile two-way data communications for worldwide commercial markets. The primary application areas are data communications and messaging. The project was fully funded in 1993 when Orbital Sciences and Teleglobe (Canada) entered a financing and marketing strategic alliance. US Armed Forces will be able to utilize this unique global commercial communication system without the high costs associated with developing a system solely for use by the military. Use of the ORBCOMM System by the US Armed Forces would be in-accordance with the dual-use policy (use of commercial assets by the military) supported by the DoD and the Commercial Satellite Communications Initiative (CSCI) directed by Congress. The US Armed Forces can effectively use the ORBCOMM System for remote asset monitoring, logistics tracking, search and rescue operations, and two-way messaging and paging.