Argos (satellite system)

Last updated

An Argos Seabeacon buoy Balise-Argos Musee du Bourget P1010672.jpg
An Argos Seabeacon buoy
ARGOS transceiver SparkFun IOTA - Satellite Communication Module (ARTIC R2) - 51737661791.jpg
ARGOS transceiver

Argos is a global satellite-based system that collects, processes, and disseminates (spreads, distributes) environmental data from fixed and mobile platforms around the world. [1] The worldwide tracking and environmental monitoring system is the results from Franco-American cooperation. In addition to satellite data collection, the main feature of the Argos system is its to ability to geographically locate the data source from any location on Earth using the Doppler effect; [2] which refers to the apparent change in the wavelength due to relative motion between its source and observer. Argos is operated by CLS/Argos, based in Toulouse, France, and its United States subsidiary, CLS America.

Contents

History and utilization

Argos was established in 1978 and has provided data to environmental research and protection groups. [3] It is a component of many global research programs including the Tropical Ocean-Global Atmosphere program (TOGA), Tagging of Pacific Pelagics (TOPP), World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) and, Argo. There are 22,000 active transmitters (8,000 of which are used in animal tracking) in over 100 countries.

Since the late 1980s, Argos transmitters have been deployed on a large number of marine mammals and sea turtles, and it is used for tracking long-distance movements of both coastal and oceanic species. [4] [5]

Argos was developed under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES, France), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA, United States) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, United States).

The system utilizes both ground and satellite-based resources to accomplish its mission. These include:

Since June 2019, a new subsidiary named Kinéis has taken over operations and plans to launch a constellation of 16U CubeSats in 2022. [6] In June 2024, the first of these Cubesats were launched on a Rocket Lab Electron launch vehicle named "No Time Toulouse". [7] On 20 September 2024, the second batch of five Cubesats were launched on electron launch number 53 named "Kinéis Killed The RadIoT Star", see List of Electron launches.

Operating agencies

The Argos satellite-based system was set up by:

Recent partners in this international cooperative venture are:

Frequencies and data transfer

Most use of the Argos System makes use of one-way data transmission on 401.65 MHz using Argos 2. Each Argos platform features a unique 28-bit ID and the ability to transmit a short 3 to 31 byte message for each transmission. Each platform is restricted to a specified interval, such as every 60 seconds, allowing for a few hundred bytes total per satellite pass. This is enough to contain a couple elements of geographic coordinates or other sensor data. Argos 1 is no longer supported. In order to determine transmitter position using Doppler shift on a single satellite accurately, approximately 4-6 transmissions are required in succession during a satellite pass. Accuracy can vary between several hundred meters to several kilometers.

The Argos 3 system uses a downlink signal at 465.9875 MHz. However, due to ground-based alarm system interference issues in the United States, [8] the downlink was disabled on the NOAA-19 satellite. [9] Other newer satellites still transmit on this frequency. The downlink contains date and time, Argos System satellite ephemeris data, and the downlink portion of the two-way communication link.

Data collected from the Argos System is transmitted to the ground using two possible methods. If an Argos System ground receiving station is in view of the satellite while the transmitter is also in view, the data is transmitted and processed in near real time. If a ground station is not in view or operational, data is additionally transmitted from the satellite to one of several polar based ground stations. This introduces additional delay in receiving messages.

Satellite constellation

The Argos System is served by 9 polar orbiting satellites at an altitude of 850 km and completes a revolution around Earth approximately every 100 minutes. At a vantage point of 850 km, satellites cover approximately 5000 km2 of Earth. Each satellite was intended to be Sun-synchronous, with passes almost at the same solar time each day. Although, due to the age of some satellites, minor drifting does occur.

Due to the satellite constellations polar orbit, 100% of the Earth is covered by the Argos System. Since pass overlap increase with latitude, the number of daily passes over a transmitter also increase with latitude. [10]

Argos satellites in operation [11]
Satellite NameLaunch DateOperational StatusAbbreviationDownlink Enabled
NOAA-15 13 May 1998OperationalNKN/A
NOAA-18 20 May 2005OperationalNNN/A
NOAA-19 6 February 2009OperationalNPNo [12]
METOP-B 17 November 2012OperationalMBNo
METOP-C 7 November 2018OperationalMCYes
SARAL 13 February 2013OperationalSRYes
ANGELS 18 December 2019OperationalA1Yes

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weather satellite</span> Type of satellite designed to record the state of the Earths atmosphere

A weather satellite or meteorological satellite is a type of Earth observation satellite that is primarily used to monitor the weather and climate of the Earth. Satellites can be polar orbiting, or geostationary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EUMETSAT</span> European intergovernmental organisation

The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) is an intergovernmental organisation created through an international convention agreed by a current total of 30 European Member States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NOAA-19</span> Weather satellite

NOAA-19, known as NOAA-N' before launch, is the last of the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) series of weather satellites. NOAA-19 was launched on 6 February 2009. NOAA-19 is in an afternoon Sun-synchronous orbit and is intended to replace NOAA-18 as the prime afternoon spacecraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MetOp</span> Series of European meteorological satellites

Metop is a series of three polar-orbiting meteorological satellites developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and operated by the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). The satellites form the space segment component of the overall EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS), which in turn is the European half of the EUMETSAT / NOAA Initial Joint Polar System (IJPS). The satellites carry a payload comprising 11 scientific instruments and two which support Cospas-Sarsat Search and Rescue services. In order to provide data continuity between Metop and NOAA Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES), several instruments are carried on both fleets of satellites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NOAA-17</span>

NOAA-17, also known as NOAA-M before launch, was an operational, polar orbiting, weather satellite series operated by the National Environmental Satellite Service (NESS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA-17 also continued the series of Advanced TIROS-N (ATN) spacecraft begun with the launch of NOAA-8 (NOAA-E) in 1983 but with additional new and improved instrumentation over the NOAA A-L series and a new launch vehicle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NOAA-16</span>

NOAA-16, also known as NOAA-L before launch, was an operational, polar orbiting, weather satellite series operated by the National Environmental Satellite Service (NESS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA-16 continued the series of Advanced TIROS-N (ATN) spacecraft that began with the launch of NOAA-8 (NOAA-E) in 1983; but it had additional new and improved instrumentation over the NOAA A-K series and a new launch vehicle. It was launched on 21 September 2000 and, following an unknown anomaly, it was decommissioned on 9 June 2014. In November of 2015 it broke up in orbit, creating more than 200 pieces of debris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NOAA-18</span>

NOAA-18, also known as NOAA-N before launch, is an operational, polar orbiting, weather satellite series operated by the National Environmental Satellite Service (NESS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA-18 also continued the series of Advanced TIROS-N (ATN) spacecraft begun with the launch of NOAA-8 (NOAA-E) in 1983 but with additional new and improved instrumentation over the NOAA A-M series and a new launch vehicle. NOAA-18 is in an afternoon equator-crossing orbit and replaced NOAA-17 as the prime afternoon spacecraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NOAA-15</span> Longest Operating Weather Satellite

NOAA-15, also known as NOAA-K before launch, is an operational, polar-orbiting of the NASA-provided Television Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS) series of weather forecasting satellite operated by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA-15 was the latest in the Advanced TIROS-N (ATN) series. It provided support to environmental monitoring by complementing the NOAA/NESS Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite program (GOES).

The Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) is a constellation of polar orbiting weather satellites funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) with the intent of improving the accuracy and detail of weather analysis and forecasting. The spacecraft were provided by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center oversaw the manufacture, integration and test of the NASA-provided TIROS satellites. The first polar-orbiting weather satellite launched as part of the POES constellation was the Television Infrared Observation Satellite-N (TIROS-N), which was launched on 13 October 1978. The final spacecraft, NOAA-19, was launched on 6 February 2009. The ESA-provided MetOp satellite operated by EUMETSAT utilize POES-heritage instruments for the purpose of data continuity. The Joint Polar Satellite System, which was launched on 18 November 2017, is the successor to the POES Program.

NOAA-13, also known as NOAA-I before launch, was an American weather satellite operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA-I continued the operational, polar orbiting, meteorological satellite series operated by the National Environmental Satellite System (NESS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA-I continued the series (fifth) of Advanced TIROS-N (ATN) spacecraft begun with the launch of NOAA-8 (NOAA-E) in 1983. NOAA-I was in an afternoon equator-crossing orbit and was intended to replace the NOAA-11 (NOAA-H) as the prime afternoon (14:00) spacecraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NOAA-7</span>

NOAA-7, known as NOAA-C before launch, was an American operational weather satellite for use in the National Operational Environmental Satellite System (NOESS) and for the support of the Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) during 1978-1984. The satellite design provided an economical and stable Sun-synchronous platform for advanced operational instruments to measure the atmosphere of Earth, its surface and cloud cover, and the near-space environment. An earlier launch, NOAA-B, was scheduled to become NOAA-7, however NOAA-B failed to reach its required orbit.

NOAA-6, known as NOAA-A before launch, was an American operational weather satellite for use in the National Operational Environmental Satellite System (NOESS) and for the support of the Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) during 1978–1984. The satellite design provided an economical and stable Sun-synchronous platform for advanced operational instruments to measure the atmosphere of Earth, its surface and cloud cover, and the near-space environment.

NOAA B was an American operational weather satellite for use in the National Operational Environmental Satellite System (NOESS) and for the support of the Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) during 1978-1984. The satellite design provided an economical and stable Sun-synchronous platform for advanced operational instruments to measure the atmosphere of Earth, its surface and cloud cover, and the near-space environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SARAL</span> Indian Earth observation satellite

SARAL is a cooperative altimetry technology mission of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES). SARAL performs altimetric measurements designed to study ocean circulation and sea surface elevation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ScatSat-1</span> Indian Earth observation satellite

ScatSat-1 was a satellite providing weather forecasting, cyclone prediction, and tracking services to India. It has been developed by ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore whereas its payload was developed by Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad. The satellite carries a Ku-band scatterometer similar to the Oceansat-2 which became dysfunctional after its life span of four-and-a-half years. India was dependent on NASA's ISS-RapidScat for prediction of cyclone forecasting and weather prediction. The data generated by this mini-satellite are used by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NOAA-8</span> Weather satellite

NOAA-8, known as NOAA-E before launch, was an American weather satellite operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for use in the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS). It was first of the Advanced TIROS-N series of satellites. The satellite design provided an economical and stable Sun-synchronous platform for advanced operational instruments to measure the atmosphere of Earth, its surface and cloud cover, and the near-space environment.

NOAA-11, known as NOAA-H before launch, was an American weather satellite operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for use in the National Operational Environmental Satellite System (NOESS) and for support of the Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) during 1978–1984. It was the fourth of the Advanced TIROS-N series of satellites. The satellite design provided an economical and stable Sun-synchronous platform for advanced operational instruments to measure the atmosphere of Earth, its surface and cloud cover, and the near-space environment.

NOAA-12, also known as NOAA-D before launch, was an American weather satellite operated by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an operational meteorological satellite for use in the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS). The satellite design provided an economical and stable Sun-synchronous platform for advanced operational instruments to measure the atmosphere of Earth, its surface and cloud cover, and the near-space environment.

NOAA-14, also known as NOAA-J before launch, was an American weather satellite operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA-14 continued the third-generation operational, Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite (POES) series operated by the National Environmental Satellite Service (NESS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA-14 continued the series of Advanced TIROS-N (ATN) spacecraft begun with the launch of NOAA-8 (NOAA-E) in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich</span> Earth observation satellite

The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (S6MF) or Sentinel-6A is a radar altimeter satellite developed in partnership between several European and American organizations. It is part of the Jason satellite series and is named after Michael Freilich. S6MF includes synthetic-aperture radar altimetry techniques to improve ocean topography measurements, in addition to rivers and lakes. The spacecraft entered service in mid 2021 and is expected to operate for 5.5 years.

References

  1. ↑ "eoPortal Argos DCS (Data Collection System)". eoportal.org. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  2. ↑ "Argos User's Manual". argos-system.org. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  3. ↑ Rebecca Morelle (7 June 2007). "Argos: Keeping track of the planet". BBC News. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  4. ↑ Robinson, Patrick W.; Costa, Daniel P.; Crocker, Daniel E.; Gallo-Reynoso, Juan Pablo; Champagne, Cory D.; Fowler, Melinda A.; Goetsch, Chandra; Goetz, Kimberly T.; Hassrick, Jason L.; Hückstädt, Luis A.; Kuhn, Carey E.; Maresh, Jennifer L.; Maxwell, Sara M.; McDonald, Birgitte I.; Peterson, Sarah H. (15 May 2012). "Foraging Behavior and Success of a Mesopelagic Predator in the Northeast Pacific Ocean: Insights from a Data-Rich Species, the Northern Elephant Seal". PLOS ONE. 7 (5): e36728. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...736728R. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036728 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   3352920 . PMID   22615801.
  5. ↑ Bhanoo, Sindya N. (21 May 2012). "A Tidal Wave of Data on Elephant Seals". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  6. ↑ Henry, Caleb (17 June 2019). "Kinéis takes control of Argos system, finalizes successor constellation plans". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  7. ↑ Andrew Jones (20 June 2024). "Rocket Lab launches 5 IoT satellites on landmark 50th mission (video)". Space.com. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  8. ↑ "AES Tells How ADS' Mesh Network Failed". Security Sales & Integration. 22 November 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  9. ↑ "Resolution 806 (WRC-15)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2014.
  10. ↑ "How Argos works?". argos-system.com. Argos System. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  11. ↑ "Angels satellite operational from 13th October 2020". Argos. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  12. ↑ US Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service, Office of Satellite and Product Operations. "NOAA's Office of Satellite and Product Operations". www.ospo.noaa.gov. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.