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One result of a warmer global climate is increased maritime activity in the Arctic. Areas that used to be covered by ice and snow are now accessible for the scientific community and commercial users. The Norwegian government has chosen tourism as a pillar of the economy of Svalbard and facilitates the development of the tourism industry. Aase and Jabour have shown that tourist vessels sail as far north as 82° N, beyond the range of geostationary satellites. The Polar Code states that appropriate communication equipment to enable telemedical assistance in polar areas shall be provided. This paper describes a series of functional telemedicine tests carried out on board the Norwegian Coast Guard vessel NoCGV Svalbard during her transit between Svalbard and the Norwegian mainland in September 2019. Communication was established between the vessel and Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, using the new Iridium NEXT constellation of communication satellites. Our tests show that medical services that require low bandwidths work.

Abstract:In this paper, Automatic Identification System (AIS) data collected from space is used to demonstrate how the data can support search and rescue (SAR) operations in remote waters. The data was recorded by the Norwegian polar orbiting satellite AISSat-1. This is a case study discussing the Ortelius incident in Svalbard in early June 2016. The tourist vessel flying the flag of Cyprus experienced engine failure in a remote part of the Arctic Archipelago. The passengers and crew were not harmed. There were no Norwegian Coast Guard vessels in the vicinity. The Governor of Svalbard had to deploy her vessel Polarsyssel to assist the Ortelius. The paper shows that satellite-based AIS enables SAR coordination centers to swiftly determine the identity and precise location of vessels in the vicinity of the troubled ship. This knowledge makes it easier to coordinate SAR operations.