Andrew Yee[_1_]
November 12th 07, 03:51 PM
Nancy Neal Jones
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Nov. 8, 2007
301-286-0039
RELEASE: 07-70
NASA UNVEILS NEW HIGH VOLUME ANTENNA NETWORK
GREENBELT, Md. -- Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Md. showcased the new operational 18 meter near Earth Ka-band
Antenna Network, the first in NASA history, during a ribbon cutting
ceremony Nov. 8 at White Sands Complex, N.M.
The three antenna network was developed by engineers at Goddard to meet
the growing demand for ground stations to handle the high volume of
science data that is being generated by today's new satellites. The new
18 meter antennas can handle 45 terabytes of data over a 30 day period.
Missions such as the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter will be the first missions to use these antennas.
Future missions are expected to take advantage of the Ka band antennas
as well.
Two of the three antennas will be used to accommodate the continuous
high volume data stream of SDO. The third antenna will be used for LRO
and will have the highest data volume stream ever received from a lunar
spacecraft.
"The design, development, and delivery of three 18 meter Ka Band antenna
systems in just over two years is a major accomplishment for Goddard and
NASA," said Raymond Pages, chief, Ground System Development Office at
Goddard.
White Sands was chosen as the location for the new antennas because of
the existing infrastructure available there, making it a cost effective
option. Site location selection was also dependent on climate and
weather because data must be able to reach the antennas with minimal
weather interference for optimum data reception and distribution.
The three antenna network represents the start of the operational near
Earth Ka band network. LRO and SDO are NASA's first Ka band dedicated
missions. As a result, Goddard built a new data distribution system to
get the high volume of SDO science data from the antennas to the mission
and science operations control centers. The two SDO antennas and the
data distribution system are controlled by engineers at Goddard, and
they will have the capability to flow ground system software upgrades
and install software patches directly from the center. This is the
first time all of these technologies have been implemented together to
serve a single mission, specifically SDO. LRO has a separate data
distribution system that will distribute science data from six
instruments.
The goal of SDO is to understand, driving toward a predictive
capability, the solar variations that influence life on Earth and
humanity's technological systems. SDO is scheduled to launch in
December 2008.
LRO focuses on the selection of safe landing sites, identification of
lunar resources and studies how the lunar environment will affect
humans. Launch is scheduled for late 2008.
Datron Advanced Technologies in Simi Valley, Calif. built the antennas.
Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc. in Columbia, Md. built and assembled
the ground station. The Cospal Composites Srl in Ambivere, Italy
manufactured the primary reflectors. Honeywell, Datron and Goddard
helped to design the antennas. Goddard manages the White Sands Complex
for NASA.
The total development cost of the new antenna system is $20 million.
For more information on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, visit:
http://LRO.gsfc.nasa.gov/
For more information on the Solar Dynamics Observatory, visit:
http://SDO.gsfc.nasa.gov
[NOTE: An image supporting this release is available at
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2007/ka-band.html ]
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Nov. 8, 2007
301-286-0039
RELEASE: 07-70
NASA UNVEILS NEW HIGH VOLUME ANTENNA NETWORK
GREENBELT, Md. -- Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Md. showcased the new operational 18 meter near Earth Ka-band
Antenna Network, the first in NASA history, during a ribbon cutting
ceremony Nov. 8 at White Sands Complex, N.M.
The three antenna network was developed by engineers at Goddard to meet
the growing demand for ground stations to handle the high volume of
science data that is being generated by today's new satellites. The new
18 meter antennas can handle 45 terabytes of data over a 30 day period.
Missions such as the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter will be the first missions to use these antennas.
Future missions are expected to take advantage of the Ka band antennas
as well.
Two of the three antennas will be used to accommodate the continuous
high volume data stream of SDO. The third antenna will be used for LRO
and will have the highest data volume stream ever received from a lunar
spacecraft.
"The design, development, and delivery of three 18 meter Ka Band antenna
systems in just over two years is a major accomplishment for Goddard and
NASA," said Raymond Pages, chief, Ground System Development Office at
Goddard.
White Sands was chosen as the location for the new antennas because of
the existing infrastructure available there, making it a cost effective
option. Site location selection was also dependent on climate and
weather because data must be able to reach the antennas with minimal
weather interference for optimum data reception and distribution.
The three antenna network represents the start of the operational near
Earth Ka band network. LRO and SDO are NASA's first Ka band dedicated
missions. As a result, Goddard built a new data distribution system to
get the high volume of SDO science data from the antennas to the mission
and science operations control centers. The two SDO antennas and the
data distribution system are controlled by engineers at Goddard, and
they will have the capability to flow ground system software upgrades
and install software patches directly from the center. This is the
first time all of these technologies have been implemented together to
serve a single mission, specifically SDO. LRO has a separate data
distribution system that will distribute science data from six
instruments.
The goal of SDO is to understand, driving toward a predictive
capability, the solar variations that influence life on Earth and
humanity's technological systems. SDO is scheduled to launch in
December 2008.
LRO focuses on the selection of safe landing sites, identification of
lunar resources and studies how the lunar environment will affect
humans. Launch is scheduled for late 2008.
Datron Advanced Technologies in Simi Valley, Calif. built the antennas.
Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc. in Columbia, Md. built and assembled
the ground station. The Cospal Composites Srl in Ambivere, Italy
manufactured the primary reflectors. Honeywell, Datron and Goddard
helped to design the antennas. Goddard manages the White Sands Complex
for NASA.
The total development cost of the new antenna system is $20 million.
For more information on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, visit:
http://LRO.gsfc.nasa.gov/
For more information on the Solar Dynamics Observatory, visit:
http://SDO.gsfc.nasa.gov
[NOTE: An image supporting this release is available at
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2007/ka-band.html ]