On Sun, Oct 25, 2009 at 05:41:34PM -0700, Dale Ireland wrote: > Hello > > I have a friend who is sitting at Mcmurdo Station today waiting for a plane > to take him to the south pole where he will spend a year studying neutrinos. > I am wondering how they get high speed communications there. > Wouldn't all the geosynchronous satellites always be a few degrees below the > horizon as seen from the poles? > Are there other goesats that have inclined orbits that would put them above > the horizon as seen from the poles for part of the day? > I know Amsat has some communication satellites with highly eccentric orbits > that make them "hover" of a location for extended periods before diving back > to perigee. > Anyone know what they use at the south pole? Geo satellites as they age tend to increase in inclination unless they are maneuvered back to zero inclination. There are several that have been allowed to move into significantly inclined orbits... and some of these have been used over the years for part of the day comms with the south polar region. At least one of the retired TDRSS birds serves in this capacity as do several others... including military comsats... -- Dave Emery N1PRE/AE, die@dieconsulting.com DIE Consulting, Weston, Mass 02493 "An empty zombie mind with a forlorn barely readable weatherbeaten 'For Rent' sign still vainly flapping outside on the weed encrusted pole - in celebration of what could have been, but wasn't and is not to be now either." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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