Dundee Satellite Station’s household turf at Scotland’s Errol Aerodrome is to host an Optical Floor Station to examination and exhibit satellite quantum safe communications.
The name may possibly seem acquainted. Dundee Satellite Station Ltd. is a phoenix climbing from the ashes of the University of Dundee Satellite Receiving Station (DSRS), which was axed in 2019 right after far more than 40 yrs of functions.
The Organic Atmosphere Research Council (NERC) lower funding for the facility in 2019 and, regardless of protestations from the likes of NASA, the lights went out when Dundee University refused to underwrite the annual fees of £338,000. As a reminder, the Principal of the University (compensated just about £300,000 including pension contributions) departed afterwards that year below rather of a cloud.
The services offered by DSRS have confirmed a must have above the many years, with a broad archive of info collected from satellites by its receivers obtainable to the public and field alike. However, and in spite of recurring claims from politicians of the relevance of space technology to the country’s economic climate, it appeared to be all above.
Or not. In 2020 previous staffer Neil Lonie advised The Sign up that plans have been afoot to rescue the tracking antennas and reconstruct the facility at the RAF Errol airfied. The Register took a vacation to the web page this yr, and we ended up impressed by the achievement of the smaller staff in bringing the service back again on the net.
Station functions director Neil Lonie and specialized director Paul Crawford
The tale of how Dundee Satellite Station Ltd. rose from the ashes of the Dundee Satellite Receiving Station is one of ingenuity and tenacity, especially thinking of the pandemic. Possessing designed the final decision to progress, the crew have been equipped to commence professional operations in the opening months of 2021 (the to start with imagery was gained by the 3.7m antenna in September 2020). Fiber has because been laid to retain the satellite facts flowing.
The selection to host the quantum Optical Ground Station (OGS) at Errol is additional testament to the exertion that has long gone into the resurrection of the facility.
The process will consist of a quantum signal transmitter payload on a satellite and a quantum signal receiver attached to the OGS on the floor. A reflective 70cm telescope will be made use of to track the Small Earth Orbit satellite with significant precision. Quantum protected communications (another weapon in the armory versus cyber assaults) ordinarily operate along terrestrial fiber one-way links, but are restricted by distance. The hope is that the use of satellites will allow for quantum communications to be sent securely all above the globe.
The challenge is a joint undertaking concerning Dundee Satellite Station Ltd. and scientists at Heriot-Watt College. The Errol web-site, located on the financial institution of the River Tay, benefited from superb sight strains and reduced mild air pollution. Getting visited, we will have to choose the researchers phrase for cloud address.
There are 4 antennas erected so considerably 3.7-meter and 2.4-meter monitoring antennas and a even further two 2.8-meter antennas. Updates, the refurbishment of a another 2.8m antenna and a pair of geostationary antenna are in the pipeline, and now the OGS telescope. Reception and transmission in VHF, UHF, L-band, S-band, X-band, Ku-band, and the ground station assistance solutions are also on faucet, and also useful for Scotland’s burgeoning vertical start marketplace as very well as satellite tracking.
Likely forwards, there are plans afoot for an added web-site and electric power backups past UPS models. Whilst the web page can be generally remotely managed, the sizing of the crew implies round-the-clock protection is tough and depends on the demands of shoppers. “The aim is to have plenty of staff members that we can essentially do 24-hour guidance,” technological director Paul Crawford explained to us.
All of which have to have professional contracts and revenues. The Dundee Satellite Station has been quietly notching up shoppers during its to start with year and a fifty percent of operations, and the OGS task is a further demonstration of the determination of a group unwilling to be parted from their antennas.
Oh, and just round the corner from web-site is the winner of the world’s finest bacon sandwich (if you happen to be so inclined).
Satellites and fried meals. What is not to like? ®
