MADRID — The race to provide seamless, global air traffic management (ATM) from orbit accelerated today as Startical, the joint venture formed by Indra and the Spanish air navigation service provider Enaire, announced the completion of the Critical Design Review (CDR) for its operational “Echo” constellation.
Following successful validation campaigns with the Lignum demonstrator satellites in 2024, this milestone greenlights the manufacturing phase for the first block of 24 operational satellites, with launch services slated for Q2 2026.
The Technology Shift — Beyond ADS-B While players like Aireon have successfully commercialized space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) for tracking aircraft, Startical’s architecture addresses the missing link in oceanic and remote airspace: VHF Communications.
Currently, aircraft over oceans must rely on noisy, low-fidelity HF (High Frequency) radio or expensive L-band satellite links for voice and data. Startical’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) network promises to extend standard VHF coverage—the same clear, instant radio used over land—to a global scale. This allows controllers to manage reduced separation standards in oceanic corridors, significantly increasing airspace capacity and reducing fuel burn for airlines.
According to the filing, the “Echo” satellites will feature:
- Dual-Payload Architecture: Simultaneous VHF voice/data relay and ADS-B surveillance.
- Native Interoperability: Designed to integrate directly with Indra’s existing “ManagAir” ground automation systems, which manage air traffic in over 50 countries.
- S-Band Feeder Links: High-throughput telemetry for real-time relay to Area Control Centers (ACCs).
“The completion of the CDR demonstrates that our miniaturized VHF technology can withstand the harsh radiation environment of LEO while maintaining the strict latency requirements of civil aviation safety,” a Startical technical spokesperson noted in the release.
Regulatory Context: The project is proceeding under the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) allocation for the aeronautical mobile-satellite (R) service (AMS(R)S). This move positions the European sector to compete aggressively against upcoming US-based initiatives for the modernization of the ICAO Global Air Navigation Plan.
The Core Divergence: Sovereign Build vs. Commercial Buy The conflict centers on two opposing industrial philosophies. Europe, via the Startical (Indra/Enaire) joint venture, is pursuing a “Sovereign Infrastructure” model. Mirroring the Galileo strategy, they are funding a dedicated 200-satellite constellation to ensure total control over Quality of Service (QoS) and avoid reliance on US assets. Conversely, the US (FAA/Aireon) champions a “Commercial Service” model. Rather than owning hardware, the US strategy utilizes “hosted payloads” on existing commercial networks (like Iridium), prioritizing speed, cost-efficiency, and a coalition-based approach over state ownership.
The Regulatory Battlefield: ICAO Standards & Revenue Models The immediate battleground is the modernization of the ICAO Global Air Navigation Plan (Block 2, 2025–2030). Europe is maneuvering to establish strict, performance-based standards that favor Startical’s dedicated architecture, potentially allowing ANSPs to charge airlines premium infrastructure fees for 4D Trajectory Management. The US delegation counters with a “technology-agnostic” stance, advocating for flexible standards that validate the lower-cost, hosted-payload model. This effectively pits a European “toll road” model against an American “utility service” model.
The Technical Moat: ITU Interference Rules The struggle extends to the technical compliance with ITU VHF spectrum allocations. Startical is attempting to weaponize the strict “non-interference” mandates by deploying custom phased-array antennas designed for surgical signal management. This creates a significant barrier to entry for the US “hosted payload” approach, which faces steeper engineering challenges in retrofitting off-the-shelf commercial satellites to meet these rigorous specifications without causing interference with ground stations.
Strategic Summary: A Proxy War for Data Sovereignty Ultimately, this is not merely a commercial competition but a geopolitical proxy war. Europe views Startical as a strategic imperative to prevent its oceanic airspace management from running entirely on US commercial rails (Iridium/Starlink). The US, in turn, characterizes Startical as state-subsidized market distortion designed to displace efficient private capital with government-backed monopolies.
Note: This story picks up on an earlier SatNews artcle published in July of this year.