Expert: High Cost Prevents Automated Airplane Tracking

A little-known aviation fact: airplanes especially far from land, typically crossing large swaths of ocean, are out of range of onshore radio systems and radar. While satellite communication and navigation technology such as the GPS and satellite telephones enable us to determine their locations, the technology isn't universally employed. The reason, says Michael Braasch, an Ohio University professor of electrical engineering, is cost. “Being able to transmit messages through...

© La Voix de l'Amérique - mercredi 31 décembre 2014