GLASS Update (FLEX-6700 on ISS)

Steve-N5AC

In conjunction with CASIS, JAMSS America and Flexitech, LLC, two 6700s were launched to the ISS on 7/18/16.  The project was installed shortly after arriving at the International Space Station (ISS) and has been producing good mission data ever since.  The payload consists of two redundant FLEX-6700s connected to a VHF antenna on the ISS along with support hardware. The system watches ships sending out AIS data (like APRS for ships at sea) and unlike other systems can provide a near real-time view of shipping as it passes over the Earth.  We received some updated pictures to share and permission to post them.  This is the system as it was undergoing testing before integration.  The board at the back of the Express Rack with all the relays is a disembodied FLEX-6700 mainboard:



Here's a closer up view with the 6700 more visible:



After final testing the unit was assembled and readied for integration:



This is the system as installed aboard the ISS:



As the ISS passes over the Earth, GLASS is able to hear thousands of ships many degrees of latitude out from the ISS due to the height of the station over the Earth.  Each pink dot below is a ship that the system has heard:



Here's a closer view of the United States from the same map:



The FLEX-6700 allows the team to place receivers at multiple doppler offsets from the actual frequency of the AIS channels since at any given moment in time, the space station could be moving toward or away from the target at high speed.  All eight receivers in the FLEX-6700 are running at the same time to achieve these results.

Mark_WS7M

Very cool.  Didn't even know this was happening!

Makes me think of what it would be like to be able to remote into such a station for personal use:

CQ CQ CQ de WS7M

WS7M DE UA1DEL SUPER LOUD HERE!  WHATS YOUR SETUP?

UA1DEL DE WS7M FLEX6700, 20WATTS, ANT FULLSIZE DIPOLE AT 249 MILES ABOVE SEA LEVEL

WS7M DE UA1DEL DID I GET THAT RIGHT? 249 MILES?

UA1DEL DE WS7M ROGER 249 MILES...

LOL

Dan -- KC4GO

W5DID Lou Mc Fadin and I have talked HF on the Shuttle several times. Lots of hoops to jump thru. They are sending new Kenwood 710's up soon for  VHF/UHF but don't have an HF system.

Ted_Spiegel_NX6C

Congratulations to FlexRadio and all that made this possible!
Ted Spiegel
NX6C

Ria

This is seriously awesome!

Steve W6SDM

Who says there isn't any room left for innovation in amateur radio.    This project is in keeping with the long held amateur radio tradition of providing the world with new telecommunications technology.  If it weren't for hams, a lot of the stuff we use today, i.e., cell phones, would still be many years in the future if they were developed at all.  Flex rocks!

Jeffrey Kerber, N3VE

Steve, is there a website with live a live data map?

Jeff N3VE

k3Tim

http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home


Dan -- KC4GO

https://www.vesselfinder.com/  here is another

ctate243

Can we make the ISS a mult in CQWW?

ON5AM

Hi,
I make the translation in french about The Project GLASS. This is here in my website from Belgium  http://on5vl.e-monsite.com/on5vl/materiels/le-projet-glass.html
Thanks for informations !
 

Steve-N5AC

FYI GLASS is an acronym for GLobal AIS on Space Station and here are a couple of webpages with more information:

JAMSS America GLASS webpage
NASA GLASS Experiment Webpage

Steve

Steve-N5AC

Nous sommes désolés, la page que vous avez demandée n'existe pas ou plus.
Vérifiez l'adresse que vous avez saisie.

ON5AM

Sorry here is the good page : http://on5vl.e-monsite.com/on5vl/innovation/le-projet-glass.html

Gerry Jurrens

Flexitech, LLC?! Separate, new company? Cool stuff! 73

Craig Williams

I assume the CB switch on the front is not for Citizens Band?

Marc Lalonde

circuit breaker is more likely