Developing a Remote Data Link for an Integrated Ocean Observing System

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Developing a Remote Data Link for an Integrated
Ocean Observing System
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THE SLOCUM MISSION By Henry Stommel
This science fiction article, by the late Dr.
Henry Stommel, was published in Oceanography,
April 1989.
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Argo Profiling Floats

• Operational Characteristics
• Surface to 2,000 m
• Salinity, Temperature and Operational Information
• Position provides Trajectory Data
• Repeat Transmission every 60 to 72 seconds, 10
  hours every 10 days
• Normally around 50 pressure levels (range 33 to
  115)

• Future Requirements
• Transmit 500 pressure levels within one hour with
  reduced power demands for communications
• Two-way communications (not necessarily on
  demand) for programming

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Satellite Links for Ocean Science
Page 1 of 3!!
http//dbcp.nos.noaa.gov/dbcp/
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Satellite Communications SystemsStatus Overview

• 32 systems in DBCP catalogue
• 9 operational
• 2 pre-operational
• 3 experimental
• 3 cancelled
• 15 on hold

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Satellite Communication Systems

• Many systems being built or planned
• Most will be fully commercial
• Commercial success will determine survival
• Very few systems include marine data within their
  business plans
• Marine data users will have little influence over
  system operation or cost
• Technical detail difficult to find
• Most systems recently launched have experienced
  severe financial difficulties

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High Altitude Platforms
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Satcom Systems Available to Buoy Operators
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Argos Overview

• Traditional oceanographic system oceanographers
  remain major users
• Operates at 401.65 MHz clean part of spectrum
• Basically store-and-forward with bent-pipe add-on

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Argos direct readout stations (LUTs)
Great real-time coverage - if theres a satellite
overhead
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Argos Overview (Contd.)

• 1-way transmit blind
• 2 6 satellites available (NOAA and ADEOS)
• True global polar orbits
• Data and location from 100mW transmitters

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Argos Overview (Contd.)

• 32 byte max message, max throughput 1kbyte/day
• 2-way system now being piloted
• Major strength for operational users sensor data
  QCed and packaged for end user
• Daily rate 10, regardless of data volume
• Monthly platform fee
• Internet-based user access now being piloted

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Orbcomm Overview

• Basically satellite e-mail system
• Major market share is asset tracking
• Operates at 138-148 MHz dirty part of spectrum,
  not licensed worldwide
• Relatively large antenna
• Basically bent-pipe with store-and-forward add-on

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Orbcomm Overview (Contd.)

• 2-way packet acknowledgement protocol
• 30 satellites available
• Only 2 operating in polar orbits
• True global, but only just

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Orbcomm Overview (Contd.)

• 5W transmitter location may be computed by
  mobile, or use GPS
• 229 byte packets, max throughput in
  store-and-forward 10kbyte/day
• Major weakness for operational users sensor data
  NOT QCed or packaged for end user
• U.S. monthly rate of 15-22/month European daily
  rate 2
• Monthly data allowance expensive when exceeded
• Data delivered as e-mails

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Iridium Overview

• Basically global satellite phone system
• Major market share is DoD
• Operates at L band (1.5GHz) relatively clean
  part of spectrum
• Compact antenna
• 2-way, true real time
• True global
• 66 LEO satellites inter-satellite links

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Overview of Iridium Satellite LLC

• Purchased Iridium LLC for 25 Million
• Annual Operating Costs 85 Million (Original
  System 1 Billion)
• 3 Gateways
• Equipment Pricing - 500-1,500 (Original
  System - 1,500 - 3,500)
• Service Pricing/Minute - 1.00 - 1.50 (1 Rate
  Globally)
• Original System 2.00 - 7.00
• Commercial Service Launch
• Voice 31 March 2001
• Data June 2001
• 3 Million per Month from DoD Contract (2 Year
  5 One-Year Options)
• Up to 20,000 Subscribers, Unlimited Airtime
• Government Handles Tail Charges, Subscriber
  Equipment
• Ordering, Billing, Etc.
• Satellite Network and Control Facility
  Operated by Boeing

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Current Status of Iridium

• 66 Operational Satellites 11 in 6 Orbital
• Planes
• 14 In-orbit Spares At Least One in
• Each Plane
• Full Constellation Life Minimum, mid-
• 2010 Aerospace Corp. Independent Study
• Gateways
• Tempe, Arizona Primary Gateway
• Fucino, Italy
• DoD Gateway in Hawaii
• Gateways to be Added to Support
• Commercial Demand
• Satellite Network Operations Center in
• Leesburg, Virginia
• Back-Up Facility in Chandler, Arizona

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1 D-cell ? 50kJ ? 2.5Mb
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Program History

• January 1998 NSF SBIR to NAL Research
  (ORBCOMM/Iridium)
• August 1999 Iridium Filed for Bankruptcy
  Protection
• April 2000 ONR Submitted Navy SBIR Topic
  Request to Support NOPP
• Remote Data Link for an Integrated Ocean
  Observing System
• December 2000 Iridium Satellite LLC Formed
• May 2001 SBIR Phase I Awarded
• NAL Research Data Unit System Development
• Omnet Data Delivery Services
• March 2002 Phase II Contracts Awarded
• 96 Iridium LBTs (L-Band Transceivers)
• Defense Information Systems Agency
  Participation
• 104 SIM (System Identification Module) Cards
• Department of Defense Gateway in Hawaii

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Program Status

• Distributed 96 L-Band Transceivers and 104 SIM
  Cards
• Web Solicitation for Potential Applications
• Objective is a Spectrum of Platforms,
  Environments, and Data
• Delivery Requirements
• Participants Selected in June
• Distribution of Conventional Data Units Began
  in June
• Distribution of GPS Capable Units
  (September-February)
• Global
• Participation
• International Australia and U.K. 5
  Investigators/6 Projects
• United States 33 Projects
• 18 Academic (Navy, NSF, State)
• 8 NOAA
• 3 Department of Defense (2 Navy, 1 SACLANT)
• 3 Commercial
• 1 NASA

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Argo Profiling Floats

• 22 GPS-Equipped Units
• Short-Burst Data
• Operational Implementation (Oceanographer of
  the Navy)
• Cost and Billing
• Data Dissemination
• Command and Control

Multiple Applications

• Research Implementation (ONR, NOAA)
• Soft-SIM Development
• Data Dissemination

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University of Washington Seaglider
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Iridium Controlled 377 dives some to 1,200
meters Glider was redirected and recovered by
small vessel
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30 J/kb 0.11/kb
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Iridium Conclusions

• Excellent potential for higher data volumes
• 20 J/kbyte
• 10 cents/kbyte
• Interactive control of mobile
• Mobile can initiate call (e.g. when on surface)
• Need to move from modem connection to full
  digital service
• New system lots still to learn!

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Dos and Donts...

• Dont believe anything youre told
• Do carefully specify your requirements
• global or regional coverage
• data rates
• acceptable delays
• acceptable outages
• acceptable error rates
• acceptable energy costs
• acceptable financial costs
• system lifetime
• Do perform practical trials of the system before
  making commitments