UNAVCO/IRIS/NASA COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO UTILIZE VSAT TECHNOLOGY FOR REMOTE DATA TRANSFER

Collaborative Agencies Include: UNAVCO, NASA, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), Universite des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku - Franceville Gabon, Geological Survey, Mines Department and Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development - Entebbe Uganda, Charles Darwin Foundation - Galapagos

Oivind Ruud(1), Mike Jackson(1), David Stowers(2), Ronald Muellerschoen(2), Warren Gallaher(1), Victoria Andreatta(1)

(1) UNAVCO/UCAR 3340 Mitchell Lane Boulder, CO 80301
(2) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology 4800 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena, CA 91109

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the University NAVSTAR Consortium (UNAVCO) Boulder Facility both on behalf on NASA collaborated with Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) and several overseas institutions to utilize Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) technology in the best interests of a multi-disciplinary science community. By integrating high accuracy GPS and meteorological sensors with seismic installations, researchers now have an opportunity to investigate geological and tectonic events using several data sets. It is our hope that the scientific value of data from collocated instruments will be greater than individual data sets in differing locations. In addition, the cost share reduces the fiscal burden of each organization without sacrificing science goals. VSAT technology is particularly suited to areas that lack commercial or private Internet infrastructure but would otherwise be good candidates for providing sensor data, for reasons of geographic or geological uniqueness. For these locations, VSAT is currently the only viable solution for real-time or near real-time data transfer. VSAT collaborations have demonstrated the feasibility of operating solar powered installations in remote areas and have produced new knowledge and technology achievements for future remote GPS/Seismic installations. Great thanks and acknowledgments are also due to the various host organizations for help in accommodating and facilitating the installation of these VSAT stations.

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