For a real application, the time required to establish a communication link is a critical factor. For this purpose, the antenna should automatically extend and connect to the satellite within a few minutes without the need for additional staff. To do this, the location, position, time and weather conditions during the mission must be taken into account in order to align with the satellite.

During the Copka project, cost-effective hardware and an expensive reference system based on a dual GPS receiver and an accurate inclinometer will be tested for fast antenna alignment. The aim is to quantify the sensors so that robust sensor fusion algorithms can be explored. This is done by field tests with the mobile communication laboratory built for this purpose (see figure). The aim is to ensure reliable alignment with as few essential sensors as possible. Sources of problems include tram rails, which interfere with magnetic sensors, or canyons where GPS cannot determine the exact position.

In addition, satellite communication only works if there is a visible link between the satellite and the satellite antenna. For this purpose , the satellite's accessibility will be calculated on the basis of geographical elevation profiles with a resolution of ≤ 1m. This map helps the fire brigade to place the vehicles in order to guarantee a connection between the emergency vehicle and the control centre.