UNITED STATES ANTARCTIC PROGRAM

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UNITED STATES ANTARCTIC PROGRAM McMurdo
Ground Station Workshop Columbus, OH USAP
Terascan Satellite Data Systems Overview
Prepared by Andy Archer Presented by Kathie Hill
9 March 2004 Raytheon Polar Services Company
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USAP Antarctic Ground Stations

• RPSC maintains three fully operational satellite
  ground stations that routinely collect DMSP, NOAA
  and SeaWiFS satellite data.
• These data are processed real time and archived
  to tape for later access by researchers and
  planners.
• There are a host of imagery products produced and
  used daily by operations and science for the
  Antarctic program.

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McMurdo Region

• RPSC runs two L and S band ground station systems
  at McMurdo station.
• These ground stations capture and process
  approximately 35 DMSP and NOAA passes every
  24-hour period per system.
• The SeaWiFS data is collected at a frequency of
  about 6 passes per day.
• All data is saved to tape and sent to the Scripps
  institute with exception of SeaWiFS data, which
  is electronically transferred near real time to
  the NASA archive

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Palmer Peninsula Region

• RPSC runs one L and S band ground station at
  Palmer Station taking in approximately 30 DMSP,
  NOAA, and SeaWiFS passes per day.
• All data is saved to tape and sent to the
  respective archive sites.
• The Palmer station ground station is in a unique
  region to provide sea ice extents for the Palmer
  Peninsula and Weddell Sea areas

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Antarctic Research Vessels

• RPSC maintains a single L and S band Terascan
  system, also collecting DMSP, NOAA, and SeaWiFS
  data.
• The regions of study are typically the Ross Sea
  and Antarctic Peninsula area.
• Data are collected whenever the RVIB NBP is
  operating below 55 degrees south.
• All data is saved and sent to the archive sites.

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Data Archive Sites

• Imagery products include Visible, Infrared, SST,
  SSM/I and color calibrated ocean data.
• Arctic Antarctic Research Center Scripps
  Institute of Oceanography
• http//arcane.ucsd.edu
• SeaWiFS NASA DAAC
• http//seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html
  
• Antarctic Meteorological Research Center
• http//amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/

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Future Efforts

• RPSC will continue to maintain L and S band
  equipment as long as the requirement is in place.
  
• There will be some changes to the computers and
  antennas at USAP Terascan sites.
• Changes include migrating to a Linux operating
  system, increasing the physical size of receiving
  antennas to 1.5 meters and changing receiver
  models
• The operation and image product delivery will
  remain mostly the same. Image product development
  will remain flexible to accommodate science
  support and operational requests or each season.

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X-band

• RPSC is prepared to implement a real time X-band
  imagery processing environment upon request by
  the National Science Foundation.
• X-band data request capability through NASA
  MODIS data is available now through The Ocean
  color web, RPSC will be prepared to assist with
  this utility as requested by interested science
  parties.
• http//oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/

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Please feel free to direct any questions to Andy
Archer at Raytheon Polar Services Company
andy.archer_at_usap.gov