Dundee Satellite Receiving Station (DSRS)
Parent Body: Natural Environment Research Council, University of Dundee, Department of Electronic Engineering and Physics, Dundee, DD1 4HN

Principal Functions
To receive and archive High Resolution Picture Transmission (HRPT) data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) instruments onboard NOAA satellites (currently NOAA-14 and 15) and from the SeaWiFS ocean colour instrument onboard the SeaStar satellite (with NASA approval for access).

General Details
The DSRS systematically records HRPT data from the NOAA polar orbiting satellites from typically eight passes per day. The data are placed in a permanent archive from which it is available to the scientific community. Data from the previous seven days are accessible online for near real time applications. Quick-look images from most of the archive are available via the Web. A complete set of printed quick-looks dating back to November 1978 are maintained on the Station. The NOAA archive extends back to November 1978 and the SeaWiFS archive back to September 1997.

Specification
The HRPT data stream contains outputs from all spacecraft instruments. The most significant are the NOAA-AVHRR which has five spectral channels and SeaStar-SeaWiFS which has eight channels. Each channel has 1024 bit radiometric resolution and 1.1km spatial resolution at nadir. An overhead pass, horizon to horizon, yields about 5,400 scan lines covering a distance of nearly 6,000km. The swath width is 3,000km. Output from the Station is either selected scan lines of raw data (all channels) as received from the spacecraft, image data from selected channels and areas available in various map projections and image file formats, sector hard copy images of selected channels and areas. Most data are distributed via network including data for near real time applications. Raw data may also be distributed on  media such as  CCT and Exabyte.

Special Features
The Station is able to respond quickly to special requests such as recording extra satellite passes in support of specific projects.

DSRS also works in close co-operation with the NERC Remote Sensing Data Analysis Service (RSDAS) at Plymouth Marine Laboratory. RSDAS generates value added data products from AVHRR and SeaWiFS data received at  Dundee. Most products are intended for use by the marine community although support may also be provided for atmospheric and terrestrial scientists. Near real-time support is also available via RSDAS, e.g. for research cruises.

Future Plans
The station is currently undergoing hard/software upgrades to enable acquisition of X-band transmissions from the latest generation instruments flying on the NASA EOS-1 (Terra) platform. MODIS data processing and near real-time support will also be available via RSDAS.

 Availability
The facility is available to other bodies in both the private and public sectors. Access to SeaWiFS data requires NASA approval. Time is allocated either by peer review or on a commissioned basis.

Charging Basis
Charging rates are subject to negotiation.

Contact Information
Dr Steve Parkes
University of Dundee
Department of Applied Computing
Dundee
DD1 4HN
Telephone:  01382 345194  Fax: 01382 345509
Email:        sparkes@computing.dundee.ac.uk
Web Site:   http://www.sat.dundee.ac.uk 

 or

Mr. Neil Lonie
University of Dundee
Satellite Receiving Station
Dept of Electronic Engineering & Physics
Dundee
DD1 4HN
Telephone:  01382 344409  Fax:  01382 202575
Email:        ntl@sat.dundee.ac.uk