This week we use upper air observations to try to predict the path of the Chinese balloon which recently passed over the US. By using coordinate aware math and some observations from the local news we see how accurate our predictions can be with a few lines of Python!
On January 24, 2023, NOAA released Service Change Notice 22-77, describing the
change of relay satellite for all SBN services (NOAAPort and NWWS) from Intelsat’s
Galaxy 28 to the newly launched Galaxy 31. For ground station operators, this move
is non-trivial in that the location of Galaxy 28 is geostationary over 89°W, and
Galaxy 31 is geostationary over 121°W.
The following guide is intended to help operators who are not familiar with repointing a
satellite dish to provide the information to a professional satellite technician.