VESSEL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM (VESSEL ID SYSTEM)
Research Area: Communications and Navigation
Expedition(s): 23-ongoing
Principle Investigator(s): ● Richard B. Olsen, Norwegian Defense Research Establishment,
Kjeller, Norway
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The Vessel Identification System is testing the means to track global maritime traffic from space
by picking up signals from standard Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders carried
by all international ships over 300 tons, cargo vessels over 500 tons, and all types of passenger
carriers. Meanwhile various service entities have been asking to get access to the Vessel ID
data, which is continuously acquired on the Columbus module.
EARTH BENEFITS
Data from this ship-monitoring device could be combined with data from satellites to provide
better surveillance of ships at sea. Current AIS technology is only designed to monitor vessels in
coastal waters, but the Vessel Identification System will incorporate ships in open waters.
SPACE BENEFITS
The Vessel ID System tests a new mechanism that can be used to install small passive
experimental payloads on the International Space Station’s exterior. The Grappling Adaptor to
On-Orbit Railing (GATOR) could attach small payloads to International Space Station handrails,
Positions of all ships being tracked by Norwegian Automatic Identification System using their Automatic
Identification System transmissions as of mid-November 2010. Some 60,000 ships were tracked in the 4
months since the experiment started in June 2010. ESA/FFI image.