Photo: Startical
Startical, a joint venture between ENAIRE and Indra, has launched its second test satellite, IOD-2, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch supports ongoing efforts to develop space-based solutions for global air traffic management (ATM), particularly in areas...
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Startical, a joint venture between ENAIRE and Indra, has launched its second test satellite, IOD-2, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch supports ongoing efforts to develop space-based solutions for global air traffic management (ATM), particularly in areas without existing communication infrastructure.
This second satellite follows the deployment of IOD-1 in March 2025, which enabled the first satellite-based VHF voice communications between aircraft and air traffic controllers, in line with international aviation standards. The IOD-1 and IOD-2 missions are part of a broader plan to develop a constellation of over 200 low Earth orbit satellites that would offer real-time VHF voice and data communications as well as aircraft surveillance capabilities.
IOD-2 will expand the programme’s testing phase, aimed at verifying the feasibility and reliability of aeronautical communications and surveillance from space. The satellite mission is led by Startical, with Indra providing the engineering and payload systems and ENAIRE offering additional support.
"The success of IOD‑1 proved that space-based VHF works. With IOD‑2, we advance Spain’s leadership in aerospace technology and reaffirm our mission to be the first company that will provide VHF voice and data global coverage for ATM," said Juan Enrique González Laguna, General Manager of Startical.
Currently, aircraft flying over oceans and remote regions rely on procedural separation due to limited real-time communications. The deployment of Startical’s satellites aims to address this gap by allowing continuous surveillance and direct pilot-controller voice contact worldwide. The company expects this to enable more efficient routing, faster response to emergencies, and contribute to reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
Like IOD-1, IOD-2 is part of the ECHOES project, co-funded by the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The initiative is managed by the European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and supported by the SESAR Joint Undertaking.
Both satellites are undergoing operational testing over the South Atlantic, including airspace overseen by the Canary Islands, Azores, Dakar, Cape Verde, and Brazil. These real-world tests are expected to inform the development of future international standards for satellite-based ATM communications.
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