Fairbanks Command and Data Acquisition Station

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Fairbanks Command and Data Acquisition Station
WELCOME!
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OSO Organization
Those who serve the community
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Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites
Barrow, AK
Fairbanks, AK
Polar Orbits
HQ Suitland, MD and Camp Springs, MD
Wallops Command Data Acquisition Station
200 P.M.
Sun-Synchronous Incl. 98.74 Period 101
min. Apogee 530/518 miles Scan width 2700
km Circle Earth 14 times per day
1000 A.M.
Primary POES tracking antennas in Fairbanks and
Barrow, Alaska
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JASON-2 Ocean Monitoring Satellite Launched June
20, 2008
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COSMIC (Taiwan)
METOP (Joint US-Europe)
DMSP (US Air Force)
FCDAS tracks many different kinds of satellites,
both US and international.
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FCDAS helps USGS and fire fighters with rapid
acquisition of satellite data.
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Fairbanks Command and Data Acquisition Station
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What We Do at FCDAS

• Command and acquire data from weather and EO
  satellites
• Back up support for several NASA science
  satellite missions
• LANDSAT 5 campaigns

21m, 26m, 3 x 13m, and 5m antennas in Fairbanks -
3 4m antennas in Barrow
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FCDAS History

• Site established in early 1960s as NASA tracking
  station
• 8500 acres at Gilmore Creek selected as radio
  quiet
• Supported up to 70 spacecraft with 235 employees
  at the time, largest civilian tracking station
  in the world
• NOAA-NASA joint project 1973-1984
• Site is self-sufficient power plant, water
  treatment, cal lab, etc.

A long legacy of support to polar-orbiting
satellites
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Why Fairbanks?
Polar-orbiting spacecraft have orbits highly
inclined with respect to the Equator. As the
earth rotates, ground stations move away from the
orbital plane. Since every orbit takes the
satellite over the poles, high latitude stations
have more opportunities to see the satellite,
since they have not moved as far from the orbital
plane as their southern colleagues.
Location, location, location
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GOES Operations

• 35,800 km orbit above Equator - geosynchronous
• Built on NASA ATS demonstrations 1966-74
• Satellite captures data, transmits to ground for
  processing and re-broadcast via transponder
• FCDAS operated GOES-9 for Japanese
  Meteorological Agency until 2005
• Backup for GOES-W

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GEO vs LEO
Fairbanks Barrow no blind orbits
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POES RF links
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LANDSAT
FCDAS selected as primary polar ground station
for LDCM
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FCDAS 26m Antenna
Built in 1964 Prime focus 85-foot reflector on
X-Y mount Receive 136-138 MHz (VHF) 1670-1710
MHz (L band) 2200-2300 MHz (S-band) Gain 27.4
48.7 51.8 dBi Upgraded from hydraulic to
electric drives in 2003 Similar antenna used for
VLBI
Installed 1964 Receive only
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13-meter Datron Antennas

• Three systems installed 1998
• Prime focus parabolic dish on Az/El/Tilt mount
• Workhorse for POES and other low-earth-orbit
  satellites
• 60-80 passes per day supported
• Receive 1670-1710 MHz
• 2200-2400 MHz
• 7250-8500 MHz (X-band)
• Gain 43.1 44.0 58.0 dBi
• Receiving equipment upgraded to 470 Mbps

Main workhorses of FCDAS
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21-meter Vertex/RSI Antenna

• Pipe Radial Hoop Members with Two Bolt
  Connections

Center Hub

• A325 Mech Galvinized Bolts

Subreflector SupportStructure
Cassegrain feed
Subreflector
Panels
Backup Structure

• Transmit and Receive
• 1670-1710 MHz
• 2200-2300 MHz

Used for GOES operations
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Datron 5-meter
S-band transmit and receive.
Obtained from NASA. Primary COSMIC antenna.
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Malibu 5-meter

• S-band transmit/receive
• X-band receive
• Will provide backup to COMSIC and offload
  low-rate X-band supports from 13-meter antennas

Scheduled for installation August 2008.
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Barrow

• FCDAS also operates a remote receive and command
  site in Barrow
• The location offers increased visibility (higher
  latitude)

Used for POES commanding and HRPT for NWS
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Boundary Fire 2004
Seed for UAF collaboration
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Fire Extent
Two fires in the Fairbanks area started by
lightning
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July 2nd
13M-2 antenna from operations building
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MODIS from Aqua Satellite
Interior Alaska smoke
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MODIS July 4, 2004
Sea ice
NORTH SLOPE
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NASA Site at Poker Flat
Poker Flat had to be evacuated 6/30/04. FCDAS
picked up AQUA and AURA supports.
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Camp Gilmore
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For More Information

• Lance Seman, Station Director
• lance.seman_at_noaa.gov
• 907-451-1271
• Larry Ledlow
• larry.ledlow_at_noaa.gov
• 907-451-1274
• Thank you!