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The MTRS is a new TDRS relay ground system located in conjunction with the National Science Foundation (NSF) facilities in the Antarctic. McMurdo is a NSF station located on Ross Island, in the Antarctic.
Coincident with the McMurdo station is a Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) managed ground station responsible for receiving X-band data from satellites, such as Radarsat, and providing the data to the Alaska Synthetic Aperture Radar Facility (ASF), for distribution to the end customers. The desire to expedite the process of providing processed data to the customer is the primary driver for the MTRS.
The MTRS is a system designed to provide a high data rate interface that will permit relay of satellite data, received by the McMurdo station, to the Space Network (SN) and TDRSS. Utilizing this system will minimize the current data latency incurred by the present system of periodic tape shipments from the McMurdo station. Because of poor visibility between TDRS and ROSS Island, the actual antenna and relay equipment to TDRS is located on 34 kilometers away on Black Island. The MTRS system provides for the remote monitoring and control of the Black Island facility.
The McMurdo facility receives and records the satellite X-band data. The recorded data will then be transmitted to the TDRS relay equipment on Black Island where the frequency is translated to Ku-band and immediately relayed to the TDRS. The TDRS relays the data to the White Sands Complex (WSC). The WSC records the data and packs and ships the tapes to the ASF via overnight delivery.
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