US Antarctic Program participant Nick Powell in front of the South Pole Marisat-GOES Radome.

Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station uses communications satellites that serve as relay stations, receiving radio signals from one location and transmitting them to another. The United States Antarctic Program utilizes the satellites for the transfer of South Pole science, operational, and weather data, as well as Internet, telephone, and email services.

South Pole satellite schedule forecasts are published weekly on Tuesdays, with updates made throughout the week to adjust service times. Since NASA satellite schedules may occasionally change after publishing, check this web page before planning communications sessions with South Pole.

Special Service Announcements
Weekly Satellite Service Schedule
Text Version of TDRS Weekly Satellite Service Schedule

Satellite service schedule information is also available via email subscription service. To subscribe, send an email to the following address:

SPTR-subscribe@listserv.usap.gov

For full instructions on how to subscribe and unsubscribe, see the USAP Mailing Lists page.

Systems Architecture Descriptions
Broadband: South Pole TDRSS Relay (SPTR) Satellite
Narrowband: Iridium Multi-Channel System (IMCS)
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) Satellite
FAQs