 | This article needs to be updated.(July 2023) |
ANARESAT (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions Satellite) was a communication system established by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) to provide reliable telecommunications for its Antarctic and sub-Antarctic stations. The system utilized the Intelsat series of geostationary communication satellites, primarily the Intelsat 413 satellite positioned over the Indian Ocean at 66° East longitude. This geostationary link provided a critical, continuous connection for voice, fax, and early data services, including a 64 kbps internet link, which represented a major advancement over previous high-frequency radio systems. The primary ground station for the network was located at Telstra's Earth station in Ceduna, South Australia. [1] [2]
While revolutionary for its time, ANARESAT's reliance on a single geostationary satellite presented challenges. Stations on the Antarctic Peninsula and in West Antarctica, such as Mawson Station, experienced low elevation angles to the satellite, leading to occasional signal obstruction by local terrain. The system was officially decommissioned in 2017-2018 and superseded by the Australian government's investment in the Optus C1/D1 and Optus D2 satellites, which feature dedicated beams covering the Australian Antarctic Territory. This transition to the newer satellite system provided a significant increase in bandwidth, enabling modern services like high-definition video conferencing, real-time scientific data transfer, and improved telemedicine capabilities for expeditioners.
