How It Works
Simple Commands
Piloting BVLOS
Transmitting Data
Drone manufacturer Skylift uses Iridium’s Short Burst Data (SBD) airtime service for three key purposes: as a failover means of communication in the event that their radio signal drops; to capture the drone’s position, altitude and speed; to issue basic commands such as go to the nearest rally point, go home, or terminate the flight.
SBD is ideal for this application because it’s very low latency. The time it takes a message to be sent to the drone from the operator, and received is just a few seconds. It’s extremely reliable; Iridium has a well established constellation of 66 satellites in Low Earth Orbit. It’s also global; wherever the UAV flies, the operators can be sure they’ll have a means of communication.
Piloting a UAV Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) requires two means of communication with the drone, with satellite a popular choice due to its reliability. Your satellite transceiver needs to work with your UAV’s power, weight and size constraints; for these reasons, we recommend the Iridium satellite constellation.
For simple commands – i.e. go to the nearest rally point, go home or terminate the flight – Iridium’s Short Burst Data service is ideal. The RockBLOCK 9603 is our smallest and lightest transceiver, and very popular for this application.
For more complex requirements, for example, to transmit condensed video from a tail camera in addition to tracking and command/control, we would recommend Iridium Certus 100. The new RockREMOTE Mini OEM is designed to be built into your drone, and leverages the Iridium Certus 100 service.
How much data you need to transmit will determine your choice of satellite modem in this instance. If you need to send multiple sensors’ data, photos, or even compressed video, we recommend the RockREMOTE solution. This combines one of our RockREMOTE devices, Iridium Certus 100 airtime, Satellite IoT Gateway, and Cloudloop Data platform. Using this combination you can send (relatively) large amounts of data, very cost-effectively, and in close to real-time. It’s also easy to integrate into your existing system.
If your data requirements are simpler – a single sensor, and/or the location and heading of your drone – Iridium Short Burst Data may well meet your needs. It’s a popular solution for developers as it meets most criteria for size, weight and power (SWaP).
Why Use Satellite Connectivity For Your Unmanned Application?
Reliability
“RockBLOCK 9603 ensures that in the unlikely event of a comms blackout, we have the confidence to operate the aircraft safely. We utilize robust communications equipment throughout our drones, and the RockBLOCK is part of that while also being the final line of defense for mission success.” – Skylift UAV
Low Power
Satellite IoT transceivers are designed to operate on very low power so that they can be solar/battery operated for months, and even years, without intervention from a human. The more data you need to send / receive coupled with the frequency with which these transmissions take place will determine battery life.
Global Coverage
The main reason to choose satellite for communication with your autonomous / unmanned system is coverage. With no dependency on terrestrial networks, established satellite networks will provide you with reliable coverage wherever your asset is, as long as you have a clear view of the sky. Learn more.
Flexibility
Satellite airtime options are increasingly diverse. You can choose which airtime service will best meet your needs, and pay only for the data you need transmitting. We recommend Iridium SBD or Certus 100 for real-time data transmission. Also consider Viasat IoT Nano if your device is a little more latency-tolerant.
How To Choose The Best Satellite Solution For Your System
SWaP Constraints
Unmanned systems often have strict size, weight, and power (SWaP) limits. L-band satellite services are ideal for these applications because they work reliably in all weather and use relatively small antennas. The size of your terminal depends mainly on how much data you need to send. For smaller messages such as location or status updates, Iridium SBD devices like RockBLOCK 9603 are extremely compact (52 × 76 × 19 mm, 67 g).
For higher bandwidth, real time applications such as BVLOS piloting, IP-based services like Iridium Certus 100 are better suited. Devices such as RockREMOTE Mini OEM are naturally larger, as they need more advanced electronics and higher gain antennas to maintain continuous connectivity.
Location
Commercial satellite networks operate in either Low Earth Orbit (LEO) or Geostationary Orbit (GEO). LEO networks, such as Iridium, have satellites that move quickly across the sky. As long as your UAV, USV, or UGV has a clear view of the sky, your data will be picked up, even in challenging terrain or near obstacles like mountains or buildings.
GEO networks are much farther away and appear fixed in the sky. These require a clear line of sight to a single point, which can be difficult for mobile unmanned systems. For this reason, LEO services are often a better choice for autonomous or mobile platforms.
Data Usage
Today’s satellite services offer a range of options to suit different data needs. Small, infrequent data bursts (e.g., position, speed, or basic commands) are ideal for Iridium Short Burst Data (SBD); affordable, lightweight, and simple to integrate.
Larger, continuous data streams, such as video feeds, telemetry, or BVLOS control, require IP-based connectivity. Options like Iridium Certus 100, available with the RockREMOTE Mini OEM, provide the higher throughput needed for more complex operations.
Recommended Devices
RockBLOCK 9603
RockBLOCK 9704
RockREMOTE Mini OEM
Unmanned Case Studies & News Stories
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Power, Payload, Performance: What Drone Manufacturers Ask Us About Satellite Connectivity
This guide breaks down the key considerations for choosing and integrating a satellite modem that fits your drone’s requirements, without compromising performance or budget.
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How RockBLOCK Helps Deliver Medical Care via Drone
Cancer patients on the Isle of Wight, located just off the south coast of the UK, sometimes experience issues in receiving their chemotherapy treatment. Transporting the chemotherapy via drone – using the RockBlock technology – reduces the transport time to 30 minutes.
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Affordable BVLOS Drone Connectivity: Introducing Iridium Certus 100 Airtime Plans for Drone Operators
Cost-effective Iridium Certus 100 drone airtime for BVLOS control of your UAV, with built-in satellite redundancy & flexible data plans.
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Finding Optimum Oil and Gas Sites with 40Geo Drifting Data Buoys
40Geo captures geographical information from hard-to-reach areas with drifting data buoys to aid decisions about when and where to situate oil and gas operations. Using the RockBLOCK 9602, the team can extract close to real-time data under any circumstances, unaffected by location, weather or cellular coverage.
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Space-Bound Instrument Packages
Edorado High School sends instrumentation packages, called Eagles, to the edge of space and transmits back temperature, pressure, and GPS data, as well as live video. In all, twenty different data channels are telemetered back to ‘Mission Control’ in the classroom.
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Automated Landslide Monitoring
Slide Sentinel is a fully automated landslide monitoring system using RTK. It regularly monitors landslide activity with high spatiotemporal resolution and centimetre-level accuracy for long-term deployments. Measuring this way aids in early warning information and limits the use of invasive and expensive drilling.
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Drones in Modern Warfare: Enhancing UAV Capabilities with Satellite Connectivity
How satellite connected Drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), have become an integral part of modern military and defense operations across the world.
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Attitudes Towards Commercial & Military Drone Applications 2024
55% of respondents supported commercial drone applications, and 57% supported military applications: a more conversative response than expected. Download our free eBook to read more.
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The Vital Role of LEO Satellites in Safe and Secure UAV Drone Operations
UAV operators seeking to pilot drones BVLOS need to have complete trust in their communication channels. Increasingly, LEO satellites are used as a failover. Our blog post explores why, how and where.
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“For us, the key benefit of the RockBLOCK 9603 is reliability. We don’t need to worry about what’s over the horizon – we know we’ll be able to communicate with our drones. It’s an essential part of our dual-redundancy system, and has never let us down.”
Toby Moores, CEO
Here to Help
If you need help with remotely controlling your unmanned system, whether that’s on land, sea or air, please get in touch! With 20 years of experience, we can help you make the best choices based on your requirements.
Please call us on us on +44 (0) 1452 751940 (Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania) or +1.805.783.4600 (North and South America); email hello@groundcontrol.com, or complete the form.