Operational Interface Procedures for the South Pole TDRSS Relay ...

1.1 Purpose
Section 1. Introduction
This document contains a detailed description of the South Pole Tracking and Data Relay Satellite
System (TDRSS) Relay System (SPTR), the functional characteristics of the overall system, and
information pertaining to operational activities supported. It defines the management
responsibilities for the individual elements as they relate to the overall system, supporting facilities
and the personnel that conduct the operational activities authorized for the SPTR.
1.2 Scope
The emphasis of this document is to establish the points of contact, define the interface
procedures used by each element to conduct day-to-day operations, schedule, perform systems
monitoring, and coordinate element-to-element operational activities. Additional procedures also
provide voice/data communications, testing activities, and contingency provisions should they be
required.
1.3 SPTR System Overview
a. The South Pole TDRSS Relay system, located at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole
Station, Antarctica, provides high data rate communications links to the South Pole via
the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) to support interactive
connectivity for the Antarctic scientific experimenter community. The SPTR is managed
and sustained by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Code 450. SPTR equipment
located at the White Sands Complex (WSC) is maintained by WSC. SPTR equipment at
the South Pole is maintained by NSF under the direction of Code 450.
b. The SPTR system can only use the highly inclined TDRS-F1 spacecraft currently located
at 49 degrees West longitude. TDRSS service consists of S-band Single Access Forward
(SSAF) and S-band Single Access Return (SSAR), full duplex communications at 1 Mbps
(1024 kbps), and K-band Single Access Return (KSAR), simplex communications at 1 to
50 Mbps. The view window for daily communications is 2 to 2.5 hours. The SPTR
system uses TCP/IP protocol for data transfer to user sites. All data transfer is
automatic. Any retransmission for SPTR links errors are handled automatically. The
SPTR KSAR file transfer process will continually check for new science files placed on
the South Pole fileserver as long as SPTR is active. The SPTR will also transfer the data
to the WSC fileserver as long as there is sufficient time remaining in the schedule TDRS-
1 service period.
c. A web site is maintained at GSFC by SPTR Sustaining Engineering to provide SPTR
users with South Pole SPTR configuration and status display pages. During the
scheduled SPTR data transfer times these displays are updated daily.
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