You may know that since the early 1990s POL has operated a
PRARE groundstation at Ascension Island for tracking ERS-2.
It hasn't been the greatest of successes because the site is
remote and PRARE proved to need more manual intervention than
we thought.
The hardware has recently been refurbished in Germany and
we have agreed that the GFZ people can use it as they think
best for the remaining time ERS-2 will operate, rather
than ship it back to Ascension.
That leaves a site there with an excellent pillar with 100%
sky coverage, covered by a small radome (about 3 m diameter)
with mains power and air conditioning. If someone has an idea
for the site (geodetic or otherwise), we would be grateful to
know. Otherwise we have to go to the expense of decommissioning
the site and shipping the radome etc. back here, so as to leave
the Ascension volcanic desert as tidy as possible.
We are of course investigating the use of DORIS or GPS, but
there is already permanent DORIS and GPS at other locations
on the island.
If any suggestions, please email me at POL ([log in to unmask])
Philip Woodworth
--
Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory, Bidston Observatory, Birkenhead,
Merseyside CH43 7RA, U.K. Tel: +44 - 151 - 653 8633 Fax: 653 6269
POL web page: http://www.pol.ac.uk Email: [log in to unmask]
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