EUCLID JP 9.16: Space-based AIS reception for ship identification

This report documents the results of Work element 3100 “Space-based AIS reception for ship identification” of the WEAG study JP 9.16 “Emerging Satellite Technologies, System Trends and Space Utilization”. The Automatic Identification System (AIS) will be mandatory on larger ships over the next few years. The system is developed for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communication. The report focuses on the capabilities of a possible spacebased AIS sensor for ship traffic monitoring on the open oceans with respect to the following elements; 1) AIS signal power in low Earth orbit, 2) Ship detection probability from space, 3) AIS sensor/satellite design. The conclusion from this feasibility study is that space-based AIS reception for ship identification seems feasible. The ship detection probability is better than 99% for swath widths up to 800 nm for realistic scenarios.