The UAF1 antenna is located at the Alaska Satellite Facility Distributed Active Archive Center (ASF DAAC) Enterprise Ground Station, which provides reliable fiberoptic connectivity to the lower 48 states. The ground station’s location near Fairbanks, Alaska (64.794, -147.536) is optimal for tracking polar-orbiting satellites. The climate is dry, and the winds are calm.
The UAF1 antenna is one of two antennas hosted at the Enterprise Ground Station, which provides 9 to 10 supports per day per spacecraft. The station maintains and hosts customer-owned equipment and provides a fenced, gated facility with 24/7 police and operator video monitoring, a state-of-the-art fire suppression system, and a generator power supply backup. The station is supported by ground station engineers with decades of experience.
In addition, ASF Enterprise provides synthetic aperture radar (SAR) training to assist the research and hazard response communities in understanding and applying SAR data to their specific applications.
UAF1 Antenna Key Features
- ViaSat 3-axis antenna
- 7.3m parabolic reflector
- S, X, and Ka-band downlink
- S-Band uplink
- Cassegrain configuration
- 4 ind. Freq. channels in X-band
- 400 Mbs per X-band channel
- Dual polarization support in X-band
- Model 3420 Insulated Riser
- Model 3424 Azimuth/train pedestal
- Series 3880 ACU
- VHR-1200 high-rate receiver
- 100W uplink amplifier
UAF1 Antenna Specifications
X-Band Telemetry Characteristics
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 8000 - 8500 MHz |
| G/T | Theoretical = 32 dB/K Worst case A 5 deg El |
| Polarization | RHC or LHC |
| Antenna Beamwidth | 0.3 deg |
| Modulation | BPSK, QPSK, OQPSK, 8PSK |
Data Rates
| Modulation Format | Quad-Channel Mode 2x demodulators per IF channel | Dual-Channel Mode 1x demodulators per IF channel |
|---|---|---|
| Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) | 200 Mbps x 2 demods x 2 IF channels (800 Mbps total) | 400 Mbps x 2 IF channels (800 Mbps total) |
| Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) | 400 Mbps x 2 demods x 2 IF channels (1600 Mbps total) | 800 Mbps x 2 IF channels (1600 Mbps total) |
| Offset Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (OQPSK) | 400 Mbps x 2 demods x 2 IF channels (1600 Mbps total) | 800 Mbps x 2 IF channels (1600 Mbps total) |
| 9 Phase Shift Keying (8PSK) | 600 Mbps x 2 demods x 2 IF channels (2400 Mbps total) | 1200 Mbps x 2 IF channels (2400 Mbps total) |
Telemetry Characteristics
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 2200-2300 MHz |
| G/T | Theoretical = 23 deg C Worst case @ 0.5 deg El = 19 dB |
| System Noise Temperature | 30 K |
| Polarization | RHC or LHC |
| Antenna Beamwidth | 1.2.deg |
| Antenna Gain | 48 dB @ Noise 30 K |
| Carrier Modulation | SC_AQPSK, BPSK, SGLS |
| Carrier Data Rate | 8 kbps to 128 kbps |
| Subcarrier Frequency | 1.024 MHz |
| Subcarrier Modulation | BPSK |
| Subcarrier Data Rate | 2 kbps to 128 kbps |
Command Characteristics
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 2025-2120 MHz |
| EIRP | 53 dBWi |
| Polarization | RHC or LHC |
| Antenna Beamwidth | 1.2.deg |
| Antenna Gain | 48 dB |
| Output Power | 100 W |
| Carrier Modulation | SGLS |
| Carrier Data Rate | 100 kbps to 1 Mbps |
| Subcarrier Frequency | 1.024 MHz |
| Subcarrier Modulation | FSK/AM |
| Subcarrier Data Rate | 100 bps |