Safety from Space

The Beagle Waveform is a new category of satellite communications waveform designed for combined low power messaging and beacon geolocation known as the Beagle Waveform.  This has class leading performance to meet the needs of next generation Defence Tactical Communications and Search and Rescue (SAR) Services.

Key features are low RF signal power which can be spread to any degree over a selected frequency band, and robustness to high levels of background noise, interference and large carrier frequency variation.  The latter is important to handle Doppler effects because of fast-moving satellites and user platforms.  The electromagnetic signature of Beagle is configurable at run-time in order to be adaptable and even virtually invisible to others, through a unique set of advanced processing algorithms.  Low probability of detection and interception are critical elements for improved security and privacy.

Beagle highly suitable for dual civil/military usage in a miniature form factor device.

Beagle has been demonstrated in a power limited SATCOM experimental set-up using a small Size Weight and Power (SWaP) beacon/terminal.  A unique operating mode presented was on-the-move vehicle-to-vehicle low-rate messaging with no intermediate ground station.  This has the benefit of low latency and minimal system overheads, making it ideal for rapid tactical deployment.   This test was conducted at UHF, with the receivers able to perform transmitter geolocation – vital in a GPS-denied environment but also as a further integrity check on the signal source.  The demonstration receiver was vehicle mounted making deployment fast and simple.  Similar functionality with existing systems requires large, very expensive, fixed ground stations equipped with an array of tracking dishes.

Testing was also conducted at X band for a small aperture SATCOM on the move application over IP.