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During the Antarctica season of 2000, Iridium
was unavailable to the public market. Polar expeditions without connections in
the US Army were desperate for an alternative means of communication. All attention suddenly
fell on
Orbcomm, a system
used primarily in the area of industrial remote control.
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Antarctica Nov 21, 2000
First GlobalPic Ever!
For the first time ever, a picture has been sent from Antarctica
via the ORBCOMM system! The ORBCOMM system uses LEO satellites
instead of terrestrial fixed site relay repeaters to provide
worldwide geographic coverage. The system is capable of sending
and receiving two-way alphanumeric packets, similar to two-way
paging or e-mail.
Swedish Space Corp (SSC) has provided the expedition with hardware
and the software is created by HumanEdgeTech. |
Orbcomm started out in 1995 as a cheap alternative for short text
messages (not more than 200 characters). It has 35 Low Orbit
Satellites (LEO); three in polar orbit. Orbcomm has full coverage of the
globe.
Orbcomm satellites can communicate with the user terminal and with
Orbcomm ground stations (8), but not from satellite to satellite. When
your terminal connects with a satellite that is within reach of a
ground station, you can send or receive "Orb mail".
If the satellite is out of reach of the ground station (Antarctica or
Arctic) you will switch modes and send a "Global mail". The Satellite
will store the message until touching base with a ground
station on a later occasion. The cost of sending information is about 1
cent per character, around $1-$2 for a standard message.
There are different terminals on the market, intended for larger setups
rather than
explorers:
 The
Panasonic KX-G7101 is an advanced unit, needing much knowledge and work
on your part.
The ExplorersWeb team used these units and wearable, mobile tech to send the first live
(minus transmission time) photos ever from a polar expedition. Read more.
The unit is 660 gr., but you'll also need a VHF
antenna and battery. The unit by itself requires very little power
– except when transmitting (2
amp max).
It is about $1000 including battery and antenna.
The Orbcomm system was a helpful emergency backup at Antarctica, but not
suitable for today's expeditions.
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