Leveraging LEO for Next-Generation In-Flight Connectivity

Passengers increasingly expect seamless connectivity in the skies. Enter Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations such as those developed by Starlink, OneWeb, and Telesat. Unlike traditional geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites, LEO satellites orbit much closer to Earth, between 100 miles and 12,400 miles (160–2,000 kilometers) above the surface, allowing for rapid data transfer with reduced latency.

LEO satellite connectivity offers faster speeds, real-time conversations, and reliable connections even over remote regions. For airlines, the advantages are many: broader coverage, augmented capacity, and the ability to cater to high-capacity users.

Amazon's ambitious Project Kuiper, a LEO satellite network, consists of three main parts, according to a spokesperson from Amazon: ground infrastructure, satellites, and customer terminals. The ground infrastructure encompasses gateway antennas, responsible for the secure transmission of customer data to and from the orbiting satellites.

Complementing these are the telemetry, tracking, and control (TT&C) antennas, pivotal for ensuring optimal operation of the satellites. The satellites themselves are strategically placed within Low Earth Orbit, acting as relay points for the swift transmission of data between the gateway antennas and end-users.

To further enhance the system's capabilities, Amazon has incorporated customer terminals, described by the spokesperson as combining “antennas and processors into a single, compact system to deliver connectivity.”

Project Kuiper satellites promise dynamic bandwidth allocation to locales between 56ᵒ latitude north and south of the equator, covering some of Earth's most isolated regions. The spokesperson noted, “To allow for very low latency, we will deploy satellites at altitudes of 590 kilometers, 610 km, and 630 km in multiple orbital inclinations to efficiently provide worldwide coverage.”

Project Kuiper is poised to bridge the global digital gap by delivering rapid, affordable broadband to tens of millions of people globally, prioritizing communities that have previously lacked dependable internet access, according to Amazon’s spokesperson. Project Kuiper emphasizes affordability, with a standard terminal costing under $400.

The Amazon spokesperson told Avionics that they expect the service to stand out from other LEO operators in part because of Amazon Web Services (AWS).

“Amazon Web Services is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud, and we expect to use many of its services to deliver a secure, reliable, and flexible service for our customers,” the company said.

In July, Amazon unveiled its plans for a new satellite-processing facility located at the Kennedy Space Center. This facility will serve as the hub for prepping and integrating the Kuiper satellites with rockets from Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance (ULA).

“We have an ambitious plan to begin Project Kuiper’s full-scale production launches and early customer pilots next year, and this new facility will play a critical role in helping us deliver on that timeline," Steve Metayer, the Vice President of Kuiper Production Operations, said.

Satellite production for the project will commence at a manufacturing facility in Kirkland, Washington, later this year. Upon completion, the satellites will be shipped to the Florida facility for the final preparatory phases leading up to the launches. This facility, spanning 100,000 square feet, boasts a 100-foot-tall bay clean room tailored to accommodate payload fairings of heavy-lift rockets, including Blue Origin’s New Glenn and ULA’s Vulcan Centaur.

With a planned constellation of over 3,200 satellites in Low Earth Orbit, the Project Kuiper blueprint encompasses high-caliber customer terminals, ground networking fortified by Amazon Web Services, and launches of two prototype satellites in the coming months.

Telesat and OneWeb expect their constellations to be ideal for providing in-flight connectivity services based on the systems’ capacity, low latency, and global coverage. Telesat Lightspeed is designed with flexible beams that could reorient satellite capacity according to demand. It provides full support for both electronically- and mechanically-steered antennas.

OneWeb has solidified its position as a significant player in the in-flight connectivity domain, achieving a notable leap in its satellite deployment in 2023. With 19 launches now completed, the company has a constellation of 634 satellites in Low Earth Orbit. This surpasses the 588 satellites that would be needed for comprehensive global coverage. The additional 46 satellites act as in-orbit backups in the event of unforeseen satellite malfunctions.

“We continue to build out our infrastructure network of Satellite Network Portals and Points of Presence, ahead of launching connectivity services globally at the end of 2023, with aviation services on track as promised for launch in early 2024,” a spokesperson from OneWeb told Avionics.

As of the end of May, OneWeb began offering its services to 37 new European countries, among them Austria, Italy, France, and Portugal. With an expanding coverage area and a diversified range of user terminals to cater to varying market needs, OneWeb is strategically positioned to cater to maritime, government, enterprise, and aviation sectors.

OneWeb's endeavors in the realm of LEO satellite communications mark a departure from traditional satellite-based IFC solutions, which have leveraged GEO satellites positioned about 36,000 km (about 22,369 miles) above the Earth. By comparison, OneWeb's LEO satellites orbit at a distance of 1,200 km (roughly 746 miles), which provides distinct advantages. Their approach is structured around what they refer to as the "5 C’s of connectivity": coverage, capacity, connection, consistency, and community.

The proximity of OneWeb’s LEO satellites to the Earth results in bandwidth speeds that could surpass existing global satellite systems.

“In the advent of modern user applications that typically require low latency to function, [this] opens up a whole new area for passenger, crew, and IOT [Internet of Things] solutions that simply can’t be met with the limitations of existing satellite-based IFC solutions,” the company’s spokesperson said. “OneWeb plans to evolve this initial offering, meaning a growth path of significant additional capacity and capabilities in the coming years.”

Connection and consistency are pivotal to OneWeb's offerings. Their partnership with Stellar Blu, among others, introduces electronically steered array (ESA) technology, an innovative connection system between aircraft and satellites. The ESAs are smaller, lighter, and more reliable than conventional antennas.

“Not only does this mean we can connect smaller commercial platforms such as regional jets to satellite for the first time, but the reduced weight and lower profile also deliver fuel burn and emissions savings,” explained OneWeb’s representative. “Intelsat estimates that the new ESA weighs 40% less and features 60% less drag than a traditional antenna.”

On the consistency front, OneWeb seeks to remedy the fluctuating satellite connectivity experiences reported by users. Their extensive ground infrastructure, complemented by their commitment through Service Level Agreements, aspires to offer consistent connectivity irrespective of user location, said the spokesperson from OneWeb. OneWeb collaborates with distribution partners such as Intelsat, Panasonic, and Hughes in addition to technology partners. The representative noted that their multi-orbit solution aims to integrate the strengths of both LEO and GEO networks to sculpt a cohesive, connected ecosystem for the aviation industry.

The placement of LEO satellites around various orbital axes ensures that aircraft traveling anywhere always have a satellite within range. Historically, GEO satellites faced restrictions due to physical limitations and specific look-angles, making coverage inconsistent at higher latitudes and along polar pathways. However, LEO constellations mitigate these challenges, guaranteeing a consistent line of sight and, subsequently, reliable performance wherever the aircraft may be.

The closer proximity of LEO satellites to Earth—about 1,200 kilometers—often allows them to offer latency levels under 100 milliseconds. This facilitates many real-time services for passengers and crew, from cloud-based operations and 5G application usage to online gaming. “People rely more than ever on cloud-based and streaming applications and a whole range of video-conferencing and VOIP calling solutions,” OneWeb’s spokesperson said, adding, “The user experience will be equivalent to being at home on the ground.”

Gogo Business Aviation recently introduced AVANCE LX5, an expansion of the AVANCE product portfolio that uses the OneWeb satellite network. AVANCE will offer a LEO global broadband experience, designed for business aircraft. It provides access to Gogo’s 3G, 4G, and 5G networks in the continental U.S.

The emergence of LEO satellite networks has expedited advancements in related technologies, notably the ESA. This underscores the collaborative approach many are taking to meet the demands of today's digitally-driven aviation industry.

“We’re witnessing the dawn of a new era for in-flight connectivity where new technologies, as well as new flexible thinking and collaboration, will finally meet the needs of today’s digital airline and digital passenger—regardless of the type of aircraft they are flying on,” said OneWeb. “Smaller regional jets such as the ATR, Embraer, and CRJ aircraft have to date remained largely unconnected,” they added.

If airlines can establish uniform connectivity standards across their entire fleet, from smaller regional aircraft to more extensive single-aisle and widebody planes, it not only enhances the passenger experience but also introduces potential new revenue streams, like connectivity subscription packages linked to airline loyalty programs.

OneWeb's LEO network will offer a total usable capacity of over 1.1 Tbps, with each of its satellites providing 7.2 Gbps. The current generation of OneWeb's commercial aviation antenna, under development by Stellar Blu, offers high throughput capabilities of 195/32 Mbps (DL/UL). This surpasses many existing IFC solutions, which typically provide 30 to 50 Mbps per aircraft. OneWeb anticipates a shift in the way in-flight connectivity is measured, moving beyond Kbps and Mbps due to the high-speed, low-latency connectivity they provide globally.

OneWeb’s engineers and technical teams have begun to determine the requirements and capabilities of its second-generation constellation following the completion of the initial OneWeb LEO constellation.

“OneWeb’s first-generation satellites have a lifespan of approximately six to seven years, after which they will need to be deorbited and replaced,” the company said. “This relatively short lifespan provides OneWeb with the opportunity to leverage the latest technologies and advances in manufacturing processes to build more advanced satellites.”

“We expect the second generation to deliver significantly higher capacity and capabilities for inflight connectivity—keeping apace with customer and passenger demand in the skies below.”

The Connected Aircraft: Insights from OneWeb

“Discussions surrounding the connectivity of an aircraft usually revolve around the Wi-Fi experience that enables passengers to work or to stream content. But in-flight connectivity continually promises so much more. The use of data for onboard retail, predictive maintenance, flight optimization, fuel efficiency, and customer relationship management are a few examples. Unfortunately, to date, these promises have remained largely unfulfilled, or certainly not to the degree that commercial or operational benefits have been materially met.

The aviation industry is on the cusp of a data revolution that will transform almost every aspect of an airline's operation. Digitalization is proliferating throughout our industry and with good reason—from LCCs to fully established legacy carriers, there are so many benefits to going digital.

If we consider an aircraft to be one part of an airline’s ecosystem—arguably the most important (and certainly the most expensive) part—then it stands to reason that it should be fully connected, absolutely everywhere that the aircraft flies.”