New Satellite Tracking Dish Installed
On Sunday, 11 September 2011, two massive telescoping cranes took position in the courtyard at the base of the Engineering Research Building (ERB) while a flat-bed trailer delivered a new Orbital Systems satellite tracking dish, its columnar support and four massive baseplates. Preliminary assembly work was performed on the ground while the baseplates were hoisted the 15 stories to the west penthouse structure atop the ERB.
The new dish is the latest addition to the array of receiving antennae capturing satellite-acquired climate data for the Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) and the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS). Mounted on the roof of the ERB on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, the 2.6 meter dish will follow polar satellites as they pass overhead, downloading climate data.
The baseplates were positioned on the roof and then an I-beam cross-piece was lifted and bolted to the plates. The plates themselves were not attached to the roof surface. At 565 kg (1245 lbs) the weight of the assembly, along with several concrete ballast blocks, will securely anchor the system.
Finally, the dish and column assembly were hoisted aloft and bolted to the I-beams of the cross-piece. The entire procedure went without a hitch and by 1 pm Carl Schoenberger, an engineer from Oribital Systems, along with engineers and scientists from SSEC and CIMSS, was connecting the electronics and calibrating the system.
The new antenna has both L & X-Band capability and will be used for NASA Terra and Aqua satellites, European polar orbiters, and other future planned higher capability satellites.
The ERB is an extremely desirable location for this installation, given its minimal obstructions to the horizon, maximizing satellite overpass contact time.
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