Satellite Tracking from Antarctica
- The TrollSat antenna is installed

Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) started in November 2005 the development of TrollSat. This constituted the formal development of the KSAT Pole-to-Pole concept. Ground stations in the Arctic (Svalbard) and in Antarctica (TrollSat) is linked through the Tromsø Network Operations Center (TNOC) and KSATs customers have transparent access to their satellites at both poles. This operation scenario allows cost efficient satellite operation and rapid data capture and dissemination. The station is operational in January 2007.

Technical description
TrollSat will be a cornerstone in the KSAT ground station network. A state-of-the-art tracking antenna and excellent satellite communication for command and data distribution will be made available for satellite owners and operators world wide. TrollSat and SvalSat will provide meteorological and other Earth observation data twice per orbit, dramatically reducing the time needed for data reception.

The TrollSat antenna position: 72°00'27.80041"S 02°31'47.18836"E Ellipsoidic, elevation 1457,67 meter

Antenna/Back-end characteristics:

•  7,3 meter S/X band auto track from Viasat

•  S-band TX range 2025-2120 Mhz

•  S-Band RX Range 2200-2300 Mhz

•  Cortex XL on S-band back-end

•  X-band range: 7765-7835 and 8040 – 8500Mhz

•  X-band data rate: 2 * 400 Mbit/s, Dual polarization, simultaneous reception

•  S-Band G/T 20 dB/K

•  X-band G/T 32,4 dB/K

•  EIRP 54dBW

•  Pointing accuracy 0,024deg el – 0,04 deg az.

•  Tracking accuracy < 0,1 deg

•  Standard GUI, MEOS view

•  High performance baseband equipment is installed at TrollSat including

•  Cortex HDR and XL

•  Alcatel Omnisat,

•  GrayLab

Communication antenna characteristics:

•  Technical specifications

•  Direct link to US East Coast

•  Capacity of 2x45Mbit/s

•  Build-in redundancy, on site spares

•  Full transponder capacity

•  Data transfer

•  Technical specifications

•  7,6 m antenna

•  EIRP 78 dBW

•  Band: C-band

Installation in Antarctica is a challenge

Installation in a remote location like Antarctica is challenging and ingenuity must be applied.

(14.02.06)