Troll Station, Queen Maud Land, Antarctica

Troll Satellite Station

Date Built:

January 20, 2008

Type

Research

Purpose

The Troll Satellite Station, located in Antarctica, serves a crucial role in downloading and processing data from a variety of important satellites, including the Canadian Space Agency's Radarsat-1 and Radarsat-2, as well as the private GeoEye-1, WorldView-1, and WorldView-2 satellites. The station's strategic placement in the southern polar region allows it to provide essential data reception and dissemination services, with a particular emphasis on Earth Observation. This capability is vital for obtaining high-resolution imagery and other data critical for monitoring the polar environment, tracking changes in ice cover, and supporting scientific research on climate change. In addition to its primary functions of data reception and dissemination, the Troll Ground Station plays a significant role in meteorology and climate monitoring. By providing real-time access to satellite data, Troll supports global weather forecasting and climate studies, offering insights into atmospheric conditions and environmental changes. The station's contributions extend to various applications such as tracking weather patterns, monitoring sea ice extent, and assessing the impacts of climate variability. Its unique location and advanced capabilities make it a key asset for both national and international space and environmental research efforts.

Size Of Land

1252 sq ft

Site Owners

Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), Norwegian Space Center (NSC)

Site Operators

Norwegian Polar Institute

Other Facilities

TrollSat targets satellites in a polar orbit and consists of a single radome with an 7.3-meter (24 ft) low Earth orbit antenna capable of S band and X band reception. To relay the information, TrollSat has a 4.8-meter (16 ft) and a 7.6-meter (25 ft) C band uplink to provide 45 megabit per second broadband connection to Europe and North America.

Affiliated Organizations

The research station facilities are owned by the Government of Norway through the Norwegian Directorate of Public Construction and Property. Operation of the facility carried by another government agency, the Norwegian Polar Institute.

References