Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Weather Satellite Weekly Status Report 26 August 2019

WEATHER SATELLITES
   ===============
POLAR APT, DIGITAL and GEOSTATIONARY WEEKLY STATUS.
  ==============================================

Author  : Douglas S Deans
E-mail  : dsdeans@btinternet.com
Twitter : Douglas Deans @GM4VZY

Section 1 has an update.

SECTION 1: POLAR APT/LRPT REPORT – 26th August 2019.
  ================================================
CHANGES SINCE LAST REPORT.
Meteor M N2-2 frequency changed to 137.900 MHz, 80k

THIS WEEK'S POSSIBLE EVENTS.
None expected.

Satellite    Frequency (MHz)     Status   Image Quality

NOAA 15        137.620  (APT)      on   periods of synch problems
NOAA 18        137.9125 (APT)      on         good
NOAA 19        137.100  (APT)      on         good
Metop-A        137.100  (LRPT)     off      see Note 1
Metop-B                No LRPT service
Metop-C                No LRPT service
Meteor M N2    137.100 (LRPT)      on
                QPSK, 72k
Meteor M N2-2  137.900 (LRPT)      on    good (commissioning)
                OQPSK,  80k

NOTES.
1. Metop-A's A-side LRPT transmitter has failed. Currently the redundant
   B-side transmitter is off until further notice (No further service
   expected due to interference with HIRS instrument).

2. NOAA 14 was decommissioned on 23rd May 2007.

3. NOAA 12 was decommissioned on 10th August 2007.

4. NOAA 17 was decommissioned on 10th April 2013.

5. NOAA 16 was decommissioned on 9th June 2014.

6. Elements are available from :-
   http://www.space-track.org and
   http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/

LAUNCHES.
None expected.


SECTION 2: POLAR HRPT/AHRPT REPORT – 26th August 2019.
  ==================================================
CHANGES SINCE LAST REPORT.
None.

THIS WEEK'S POSSIBLE EVENTS.
None expected.

Satellite    Frequency  Antenna    Mode     Image Quality
              (MHz)
NOAA 15       1702.5     Omni      HRPT   Weak(periods of problems)
NOAA 18       1707.0     RHCP      HRPT        Good
NOAA 19       1698.0     RHCP      HRPT        Good
Feng Yun 3A   1704.5     RHCP              see note 6.
Feng Yun 3B   1704.5     RHCP              see note 6.
Feng Yun 3C   1701.4     RHCP              see note 9.
Metop-A       1701.3     RHCP      AHRPT  Good (note 5)
Metop-B       1701.3     RHCP      AHRPT      Good.
Metop-C       1701.3     RHCP      AHRPT
Meteor M N2   1700.0 see Note 7.
Meteor M N2-2 1700.0 see note 7.(commissioning).
NPP       see Note 8.
NOAA 20   see Note 8.

NOTES.

1. NOAA 14 was decommissioned on 23rd June 2007.

2. NOAA 12 was decommissioned on 10th August 2007.

3. NOAA 17 was decommissioned on 10th April 2013.

4. NOAA 16 was decommissioned on 9th June 2014.

5. On 25 May 2009, Eumetsat extended the coverage of the Advanced High
   Resolution Picture Transmission (AHRPT) system on Eumetsat's Metop-A
   polar-orbiting satellite. The improved service provides additional
   coverage over the Gulf of Mexico and Indian Ocean regions.

6. I am also grateful to Dave Wright of Dartcom for confirming that
   unfortunately (as usual) the Chinese have not strictly complied with
   the CGMS AHRPT Global Standard so reception using a standard Metop
   AHRPT receiver is not possible.
   Update: The second in the series, Feng Yun 3B was launched on
   4th November 2010. I expect the information above for 3A will
   equally apply to 3B.
   My thanks to Johnny Lin for drawing this to my attention.

7. It appears that Meteor M N2 and M N2-2 are neither using full HRPT or
   AHRPT and cannot be received using standard receivers. Please see
   other mails for further explanation :-
   http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/weather-satellite-report/message/
   2098.

8. As those weather satellites have no S-band transmitter, they are
    included for information only.

9. I am grateful to David Wright of Dartcom (http://www.dartcom.co.uk)
   for providing up to date information for Feng Yun 3C.
   Now fully operational but the Chinese have changed the data rate
   compared to FY-3A and FY-3C DB downlink data rate is 3.9 Mbps after RS
   Encoding.
   Frequency is also different - it is on 1701.3 MHz same frequency as
   Metop A/B. It still requires a special AHRPT receiver like FY-3A/B.
   They have also changed the polarisation of the X-band downlink to
   LHCP.

LAUNCHES.
None expected.


SECTION 3: GEOSTATIONARY REPORT – 26th August 2019.
  ===============================================
CHANGES SINCE LAST REPORT.
None.

THIS WEEK'S POSSIBLE EVENTS.
None expected.

Europe & Africa
------------------
Satellite : Meteosat 9 (3.5° E).
Data :      HRIT and LRIT(digital).
Operational : Hot FES standby. No LRIT.

Satellite : Meteosat 10 (9.5°E).
Data : HRIT (digital) and LRIT (digital)
Operational : Yes. Prime RSS satellite. No LRIT.

Satellite : Meteosat 11 (0°).
Data :      HRIT and LRIT(digital).
Operational : Yes Prime 0° FES satellite. No LRIT.

North America
----------------
East.
Satellite : GOES 16 (75.2° W).
Data :  GRB  - 1686.6 MHz.
         HRIT - 1694.1 MHz.
Operational: yes.

West.
Satellite : GOES 17 (137.2° W).
Data:  GRB   - 1686.6MHz.
        HRIT: - 1694.1MHz.
Operational: Yes.

Satellite : GOES 15 (128° W).
Data : GVAR (digital) - 1685.7 MHz
LRIT (digital) - 1691 MHz
Operational : Yes.(In parallel with GOES 17).

Satellite : GOES 14 (105°W).
Data : GVAR (digital) - 1685.7 MHz
LRIT (digital) - 1691 MHz
Operational: Standby.

Satellite : GOES 13 (60° W).
Data: GVAR (digital) - 1685.7 MHz
LRIT (digital) - 1691 MHz
Operational: No. In storage.

Asia (Russian Operated Satellite)
--------------------------------------

Satellite : ELECTRO-L (14.5°W)
Data : HRIT/LRIT.
Operational : No

Satellite : ELECTRO-L2 (78° E)
Data : HRIT/LRIT.
Operational : Yes.

Asia (European Operated Satellites)
----------------------------------------
Satellite : Meteosat 8 (41.5°E).
Data : HRIT (digital) and LRIT (digital).
Operational : Yes. Operating IODC.
               There is no direct readout LRIT.

Asia (Indian Operated Satellite)
--------------------------------
Satellite: Insat 3D (82° E).
Data : HRIT/LRIT 4781 MHz
         Sounder 4798 MHz.
Operational : Yes.

Satellite: Insat 3DR (74° E).
Data : HRIT/LRIT 4781 MHz.
        Sounder 4798 MHz.
Operational : Yes.

Asia (Korean Operated Satellite)
-----------------------------------
Satellite : COMS (128.2° E)
Data : HRIT (digital) and LRIT (digital)
Operational : Yes.

Satellite : GEO-KOMPSAT-2A.
Data :  HRIT (digital) - 1695.4 MHz.
         LRIT (digital) - 1692.14 MHz
         UHRIT (digital) - 8070 Mhz (DVB-S2)
Operational : No. Commissioning.

Asia & Oceania (Japanese Operated Satellites)
------------------------------------------------
Satellite : MTSAT-1R (140° E) (note 4.)
Data : HRIT (digital) - 1687.1 MHz.
        LRIT(digital) - 1691 MHz.(Note 5.)
Operational : No.

Satellite : MTSAT-2 (145° E).
Data : HRIT (digital) - 1687.1 MHz
        LRIT(digital) - 1691 MHz.
Operational : Yes

Satellite : Himawari 8 (140° E).
Data : No direct dissemination.
          Satellite downlink only on
          18.1 - 18.4 GHz (raw).
          Data only available via HimawariCast service.
Operational : Yes.

Asia & Oceania (Chinese Operated Satellites)
----------------------------------------------------
Satellite : Feng Yun 2E (86.5°E).
Data : SVISSR (digital) and LRIT (digital)
Operational : No.

Satellite: Feng Yun 2F (112.5° E).
Data: SVISSR (digital) and LRIT (digital).
Operational: Standby but used for regional scanning.

Satellite: Feng Yun 2G (99.5° E).
Data: SVISSR (digital) and LRIT (digital).
Operational:  Yes. (from 16/04/18 09.00 UTC).

Satellite: Feng Yun 2H (79° E)
Data:  SVISSR (digital) and LRIT (digital)
Operational: Yes.

Satellite: Feng Yun 4A (99.5° E).
Data: HRIT (digital) and LRIT (digital).
Operational : Yes.

NOTES.

1. Meteosat 7 stopped its 0° service at 09.00 UTC on 14th June 2006.

2. Insat 3A is a combined data and meteorological satellite.

3. For those interested in EMWIN data, the following sats/frequencies
    apply.

  GOES 15 (128° W)   1692.7 MHz
  GOES 16 (75.2° W)  1694.1 MHz
  GOES 17 (137.2° W) 1694.1 MHz

  For further info. there are many sources but the following is
  informative:-
  http://www.nws.noaa.gov/emwin/winsat.htm

4.This satellite is also known as HIMAWARI 6.

5.HiRID and WEFAX was discontinued on 12th March 2008. It was replaced
   with HRIT/LRIT (after many months of dual dissemination).

6.GOES-12 was decommissioned on 16th August 2013.

LAUNCHES.
None expected.

NOTES.
1. Reports for all sections should be sent to :-
    Douglas Deans. dsdeans@btinternet.com

GENERAL
=======
For further weather satellite related information join GEO, Group for
Earth Observation. See :- http://www.geo-web.org.uk/

To download element sets for all satellites visit the following sites :
http://www.space-track.org and
http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/

For further information about Eumetsat's Eumetcast service please see :-
https://www.eumetsat.int/website/home/Data/DataDelivery/EUMETCast/index.html

And service notifications are here :-
https://uns.eumetsat.int/