The new ES&S SATRAX700 X-band system for the Hong Kong Observatory is now an operational groundstation. Terra and Aqua passes are now being received at the King's Park site in Hong Kong.

This system was installed and commissioned in Hong Kong over a period of four weeks (May 25 to June 14). A rigorous series of Acceptance and Reliability Tests were performed, followed by a training course for HKO staff.

In addition to the groundstation hardware, a software suite for processing and display of the Terra and Aqua MODIS images was developed by ES&S and provided to the HKO as part of the contract.

The software suite and the ES&S METEOR image processing package automatically processes the received data into high level products, including SST, Vegetation Index, Chlorophyll Index and Fire location products, and allows operators and forecasters to view and process calibrated and navigated data.

An important feature of the SATRAX system provided by ES&S is the integration of the new X-band data products with the existing NOAA and GMS/GOES data, from groundstations also provided by ES&S.