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FUSE Ground Stations

The operations center at JHU "talks" to the FUSE satellite primarily through a single ground station located at The University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez which are operated through the Space Information Laboratory. About six to seven times each day, for about 10-12 minutes at a time, FUSE controllers send instructions up to the satellite and receive transmissions of its precious data back to the ground. The rest of the time, the satellite is "on its own", operating autonomously based on the commands that have been uplinked.

As of Spring 2000, a new 13-meter dish came on-line at Universal SpaceNet's commercial facility in Hawaii. FUSE uses this antenna on an "as needed" basis to handle overflow data downlink.

Photos of UPRM station courtesy of Tom Ajluni, Swales, unless otherwise noted. Photo of Hawaii 13m antenna courtesy Universal SpaceNet.

NEW! Pictures of July 2002 UPRM site visit!

Caption: View of protective Radome on the UPRM antenna. (Taken June 2000 Courtesy J. B. Joyce.) (Click picture to see larger version.)

Caption: View showing the new 13 m Universal SpaceNet dish in Hawaii. (Taken Spring 2000). (Click picture to see larger version.)

Caption: View showing protective Radome over the re-installed FUSE Ground Station Antenna (March 1999). The antennae was heavily damaged in hurricane Georges when it ripped through Puerto Rico in September 1998. (See Status Report #3 and photo below.) The Radome is engineered to protect the antenna in the event of a similar occurrence during the operational lifetime of the FUSE satellite.

Caption: View from rooftop showing Radome in position over the repaired FUSE ground station antenna, March 1999.

Caption: View from ground showing Radome in position over the repaired FUSE ground station antenna, March 1999.

Caption: Crane hoisting Radome into position at UPRM, March 1999.

Caption: View of damaged ground station antennae after passage of hurricane Georges in September 1998. (Photo from October 1998.)

Caption: FUSE Ground Station Antenna being installed in Puerto Rico (March 1998). This photo shows the FUSE ground system antenna as it is being installed on top of a University of Puerto Rico building in Mayaguez.

Caption: FUSE Ground Station Antenna being tested prior to delivery to the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez (photo taken summer 1997).