Strategic data centre for servicing European, African and Middle Eastern end users of SAT-AIS data & third-party commercial developers of maritime information services

This project covers the specification, design, implementation and pre-operational demonstration of a ‘Platform for Advanced SAT-AIS Maritime Applications’ (PLASMA) at the UK’s Satellite Applications Catapult facility in Harwell. PLASMA will provide a core long term strategic data centre / resource for servicing European, African and Middle Eastern direct end users of SAT-AIS data, as well as third-party commercial developers of maritime information services. The purpose of the PLASMA project is two-fold: 1) to implement and demonstrate three key services: ◦‘AIS Knowledge Attributes’ (AKA) Service - provides end users with ‘Knowledge Attributes’ (KAs), i.e. enhanced/value-add information and alerts derived from analysing base AIS message data ◦‘AIS Web Services’ (AWS) - provides on-demand access to both base AIS data and KAs, via OGC geospatial web services. ◦‘SAT-AIS Distribution Service’ (ADS) - supports end user applications by routinely ingesting, managing and distributing base AIS message data from exactEarth’s AIS satellites. 2) To provide routine SAT-AIS services direct to EMSA, Europe’s key maritime organisation, through the integration of PLASMA’s outputs into EMSA’s IMDatE. This will allow the provisioning of pre-operational AIS advanced services to EMSA member states.