THE METEOSAT SYSTEM EUM TD 05 Published by: EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites) ©1998 EUMETSAT Design: Grigat und Neu THE METEOSAT SYSTEM December 1998 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE .............................................................................. 5 Performance monitoring..............................................21-22 Telecommunications ...........................................................22 System frequencies ..........................................................23 1 OVERVIEW.................................................................. 6 User frequencies ...............................................................23 Introduction .............................................................................. 6 Objectives............................................................................ 7 4 THE GROUND SEGMENT................................. 24 Meteorological satellites ................................................... 7 Future programmes ............................................................ 7 Ground segment facilities ................................................24 Meteosat history ...............................................................11 Primary Ground Station ..................................................... 25 The programmes .............................................................12 Overview ........................................................................... 26 Meteosat services ..............................................................12 Antennas ........................................................................... 26 Earth imaging ....................................................................... 13 Monitoring and control...................................................... 26 Image dissemination.........................................................13 Equipment ........................................................................ 26 Data collection and distribution ........................................13 DCP Retransmission System..........................................26 Meteorological Data Distribution......................................13 Back-up Satellite Control Centre......................................26 Meteorological and climatological The Mission Control Centre ............................................. 27 products .......................................................................13-14 Overview .......................................................................... 28 Archiving and retrieval...................................................... 14 Core Facility...................................................................... 28 The MOSAIC concept ........................................................ 14 Monitoring and control...................................................... 28 Image processing........................................................... 28 Dissemination ................................................................28 2 OPERATIONAL ASPECTS .................................15 User Station Display Facility...........................................29 Data Collection System.....................................................30 System planning ................................................................ 15 Meteorological products extraction.................................. 30 Satellite orbits ................................................................... 15 Archive and retrieval facility.............................................. 30 Routine operations..........................................................15-16 Other facilities ................................................................... 30 Eclipse operations............................................................. 16 The main communications links.....................................30 Contingency planning....................................................... 16 Back-up Ground Station.................................................... 30 Satellites............................................................................ 16 Foreign satellite data relay station.............................30-31 Ground segment facilities ...........................................16-17 MDD up-links..................................................................... 31 Joint contingency plans ......................................................17 Land-Based Transponder...............................................32 Support to INDOEX ........................................................17 User systems......................................................................32 Support to MAP.....................................................................17 5 IMAGE PROCESSING.........................................32 3 THE SATELLITES...................................................17 Overview ................................................................................. 32 The spacecraft.................................................................... 17 Data pre-processing .......................................................... 32 Structure .......................................................................... 17 Rectification ................................................................. 32-33 Power supply..................................................................... 18 Attitude and orbit control ..........................................18-19 The radiometer .................................................................. 19 6 METEOROLOGICAL PRODUCTS...............33 The telescope.................................................................... 19 Scanning concept ............................................................... 21 Segmentation ..................................................................... 33 Detectors .............................................................................. 21 Segment processing............................................................ 34 Passive cooler..................................................................... 21 Meteorological products .................................................... 35 ................. 2 Cloud motion winds....................................................35-36 10 IMAGE AND PRODUCT Sea surface temperatures ...........................................36-37 ARCHIVE ................................................................... 55 Cloud analysis .....................................................................37 Upper tropospheric humidity.............................................37 System description ........................................................... 56 Clear sky radiances............................................................37 Historical data .................................................................... 56 Cloud top heights................................................................38 Retrieval services ........................................................... 56-57 Climate products...................................................................39 Climate data set ..................................................................39 ISCCP ................................................................................ 39 11 GLOBAL COORDINATION.............................. 58 GPCP ................................................................................ 39 Product quality................................................................... 39 CGMS .................................................................................. 58 Quality control...................................................................... 39 Coordinated services..................................................... 58-59 Calibration............................................................................. 39 Mutual support ....................................................................... 59 Quality monitoring......................................................39-40 Geostationary satellite systems ......................................... 59 Distribution and archiving................................................... 40 Polar satellite systems .......................................................... 60 EUMETSAT data policy....................................................40 12 METEOSAT INTO ORBIT................................. 61 7 IMAGE DISSEMINATION ...................................41 Satellite launches .............................................................. 61 Dissemination system .......................................................... 41 Launchers ........................................................................... 62 High Resolution Image dissemination ...............................42 Launch site .......................................................................... 62 Description....................................................................... 42 Launch services ............................................................. 62-63 Primary Data User Stations.............................................. 44 Launch activities ................................................................. 63 WEFAX dissemination...........................................................45 Description...........................................................................45 Secondary Data User Stations .......................................49 13 THE EUMETSAT USER SERVICE ...........64