In 1987 a 12 metre diameter fixed antenna will be brought into service for 
the reception of stretched Visible and Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer data 
(VISSR) data from GOES-E, which is just 1.3? above the Lasham horizon. 
Satellite data currently received at Lasham can be summarised as follows: 
Satellite Downlink Data Received 
NOAA-6 and 9 L-band and VHF AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution 
Radiometer) 
APT 
TIP (Tiros Information Processor) 
Search and Rescue 
METEOSAT-2 L- band PDUS high resolution 
SDUS processed weather facsimile (WEFAX) 
GOES-E L-band Low resolution WEFAX 
COSPAS-2 and 3 L-band Search and rescue 
The received data is recorded on instrumentation tape recorders and a 
rolling archive of recordings is maintained for approximately 2 weeks and 
then recycled. Data are disseminated to users via British Telecom 
9.6 Kbs * and 'Megastream'! 2 Mbs”! land lines. 
There are two main customer centres to which data is disseminated; the UK 
Meteorological Office headquarters at Bracknell and the NRSC at 
Farnborough. Through these outlets a wide variety of services and products 
are provided to users including Government departments, commercial com- 
panies, academic institutions and broadcasting organisations. 
The Meteorological Office receives NOAA APT and High Resolution Picture 
Transmissions (HRPT) (derived from AVHRR data), APT in real time and HRPT 
after processing for the production of enlarged images of the UK. Also 
supplied in real-time are METEOSAT SDUS WEFAX and GOES WEFAX data. TIP 
data are supplied on Computer-Compatible Tape (CCT). The NRSC received 
NOAA AVHRR data in real-time and METEOSAT PDUS data on CCT. 
High resolution data, such as NOAA HRPT and METEOSAT PDUS is disseminated 
from Lasham via 'Metsatnet', a networking system which utilises British 
Telecom ‘Megastream' 2 Mbs”! lines for computer-controlled tape-to-tape 
transfers. This unique system was developed by the British General 
Electric Company under contract to the RAE and is currently being upgraded 
to perform direct real-time data transfers to meet future requirements. At 
present it is operational between Lasham, Farnborough and Bracknell. Other 
sites will be added to the network in the near future. 
The RAE is participating in the evaluation of the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite- 
aided search and rescue system.  Distress signals from emergency beacons 
are received by COSPAS and NOAA satellites which transmit the data to Local 
User Terminals (LUT). The Lasham ground station has been equipped as a LUT 
to process these data to extract details of emergencies and their loca- 
tions. This information is then telexed to the UK Mission Control Centre 
at Plymouth to enable the appropriate Rescue Coordination Centre to be 
alerted. 
236 
  
242 
Rem 
8.4 
tio 
dat 
wou 
bee 
sel 
tel 
The 
but 
tes 
rad 
acc 
dig 
arc 
are 
Fre 
The 
stu 
wil 
Exp 
for 
act 
wit 
bei 
dat 
The 
Roy 
Pre 
tic 
cis 
yee 
The