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page 61
How well the concept works will be known only when EUMETSAT's full fleet of meteorological satellites for geostationary and polar orbit are aloft and the SAFs are operational later this decade. In the meantime, support for the idea has spread its influence through EUMETSAT's Member States, most of whom are already committed to participating in at least one of the seven SAFs currently being developed.
The current MTP ground segment: from satellite to desktop
The ground segment, which now controls the Meteosat series, comprises a Primary Ground Station (PGS) at Fucino, 150 km east of Rome, and a Back-up Ground Station in central RomanialJ. The PGS is the link to the satellite and it is controlled from the MCC at EUMETSAT headquarters. Equipment to monitor the whole ground segment is located at the MCC. EUMETSAT can keep two spacecraft operational from the MCC and maintain a third in hibernation as a "hot stand-by", which can also be used for science projects with the Council's approval.
Data processing occurs at the MCC. The satellite data are transformed into images of the Earth and clouds as seen in daylight and in the thermal infrared band. The latter provides 24-hour images of clouds and water vapour patterns in the atmosphere from which wind speeds and directions are inferred.
The processed images are transmitted back to the satellite (via the PGS) for relay to the users. For images of the European sector, their dissemination begins within three minutes of the full Earth disc image data being acquired. Transmission of the full Earth disc image begins four minutes later. Within 20 minutes of full image acquisition a meteorologist working on a forecast or cross-checking data that are being input to a numerical model will have the data displayed on his or her desktop computer.
The future multi-mission ground segment
Based on the strategy agreed in 1992, a unified multi-mission ground segment is now being developed that will manage the operation, data acquisition and processing for the MSG and EPS systems. The unified system will comprise centralised facilities at the EUMETSAT headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany, and other facilities such as ground stations and SAFs distributed within Member States.
II - Until late 2000 the back-up facility was in southern Germany. |