Artel, LLC, and SES Government Solutions have teamed with Leidos to deliver vital connectivity solutions to Palmer Station, Antarctica, operated by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Herndon, VA-based Artel announced January 23. The satellite-based service will serve as the primary backbone for the sharing of leading year-round scientific research from the field to the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) data center located over 7,500 miles away in Centennial, Co.
Artel engineered the solution
leveraging the C-band coverage provided by the SES-14 satellite, with backhaul
from the SES Government Solutions Teleport in Bristow, Va. through
terrestrial circuits also engineered by Artel. The rapid data connection
ensures the reliable transfer of data for the scientific community, but also
provides a glimpse into the far reaches of Antarctica for the public
through their station and penguin webcam live
streams.
“The Antarctic Treaty
provides the framework for scientists from all over the world to peacefully
come together and better understand our planet. We’re glad to follow suit and
collaborate with our industry partners to provide crucial and resilient
satellite connectivity to Palmer Station,” said Pete Hoene, President
& CEO of SES Government Solutions.
Palmer Station’s location on the
Antarctic Peninsula, due south of Argentina, has given the USAP a unique
perspective to provide leading research on global issues such as climate change
and the effects on wildlife and surrounding ecosystems. The transmission of
this data from the isolated environment to the global population has become
pertinent to the NSF and USAP mission.
“Artel was involved with the
NSF’s Palmer Station Satellite Data Services from the beginning of 2002 to 2008
as a solution provider, installing the current 4.9-m C-band Palmer earth
station and engineering the original satellite-based connectivity solution to
provide end-to-end communications between the Palmer Station and the USAP data
center. We look forward to supporting the Leidos team in continuous delivery of
mission-critical satellite-based data connectivity services to Palmer
Station,” said Ed Spitler, Head of SATCOM Programs at Artel.
Long-term service provided by the three companies initiated in September 2019 and will continue to support Palmer Station through 2027.
Source: Artel
By Loren Blinde
January 27, 2020
