Greetings everyone! I am learning SO much and my PolarTREC "space" (journals and photos) is growing and growing. This morning, we heard from Roy Stehle with SRI - a provider of Iridium satellite phones. Iridium is the world's largest commercial satellite constellation with coverage over every square inch of the Earth's surface. When I am aboard the Polar Sea, I will be using satellite commincation technology to get my journals and photos to YOU! There are many steps in order for that to happen. First, I will write my journals and resize my photographs. When I am ready to send web-ready files, I can not just connect to the internet! That won't be possible on a moving, working, ice breaking ship! Internet access is limited, even IF it is available! I will have to email my web ready photos to the AMAZING tech people (thanks Ronnie and Zeb) at PolarTREC in the ARCUS office in Fairbanks, Alaska. I will use the satellite phone to make a call to send my data files. The data files will go directly to the closest Iridium satellite overhead - it has to be in the "line of sight". Think of drawing a straight line from the "invisible data" coming out the end of my phone antennae to a satellite in space. The data (in this case - an email with journal files and photos) will be bounced from satellite to satellite until it reaches a "line of sight"to the ARCUS office. Once the data is received as an email in Alaska, it will be posted on the web by someone who has a high speed internet connection!
You can read more about the company Iridium Communications and their satellite phones here!
My Chance to Practice
Ray brought phones for us to practice with!! I got to make several calls using the Iridium satellite phone. Other than dialing a really long telephone number, the call seemed rather normal. I could hear the people on the other end of the liine...thanks Brian and Cindy for being my guinea pigs. They could also hear me and commented that it sounded just like a regular phone call. Of course, I was holding a larger handset with a pretty big antennae. You can see that in the photo below!
Chantelle on a satellite phone
I will be posting more throughout the day...so check back!