40 years of space talk comes to an end in Scotland
Atmospheric data has never seemed more urgent, so why has an invaluable resource been shelved, asks Alison Campsie
For 40 years, the modest network of labs and workrooms in Dundee received millions of images of earth from outer space and then shared them around the world.
From hurricanes to wildfires, earthquakes to sea temperatures, the Dundee Satellite Receiving Centre (DSRC) had it covered, with more than five million images of activity on earth collected ever year.
But now it has been announced that the centre has closed after its funding was cut and services were bought in from a similar centre in the south of England.
Founders described the decision to close the centre, which is part of Dundee University, as “shortsighted” and a loss to both city and country.
Dr John Brush opened the first version of the DSRC in 1970 along with his colleague Peter Bayliss after they began to pick up data from meteorological satellites.
He said the loss of the centre “made no sense” at a time when climate change was demanding more information than ever on changes to the atmosphere.
Scotland’s growing space industry, and plans to build the country’s first space port on the A’mhoine Peninsula on Sutherland, needed support such as that offered at the DSRC, he added.
Dr Brush said: “At a time when climate change and environmental issues are major concerns, the loss of a facility that has supported UK and European scientists for many years and is internationally recognised makes no sense and is a loss to Dundee and Scotland.
“The Dundee station’s reputation is built on its reliability, ability to supply data from satellites extremely quickly, and its extensive archive, which is one of the
most comprehensive and easily accessible collections of satellite data for users.”
Academics around the world have used data collected in Dundee to support their studies and papers, with the station sharing data with a “very large” number of organisations and individuals around the world.
Significant events captured by the DSRC include the storm that led to 19 fatalities during the 1979 Fastnet Rock yacht race off the south coast of England and Ireland. The Buncefield oil depot fire in 2005 and volcanic eruptions in Iceland and Mount Etna were also large pieces of work for the team at Dundee, with information on forest fires and tropical cyclones also providing academics with important information on earth’s activities.
More than 200,000 recordings have been taken from five polar orbit satellites which cover Europe and the North Atlantic, with global coverage coming from a series of geostationary satellites.
The station closed at the end of March, with the loss of six jobs, after annual funding of £338,000 was pulled by the National Environment Research Council, which supports services for the scientific community.
After the funding decision was made, the Dundee team produced a plan which would charge users for data in order to boost income.
Dr Brush added: “The plan would also see the station support small satellites in future, which is a rapidly growing part of the space industry. Scotland hopes to be a major player in this area, with many satellites built and launched here, but it will also need ground station support for them. As currently the only established ground station in the country, Dundee would be ideally placed to play a part. This plan could at the very least have been given a trial period. Unfortunately Dundee University management have decided that it is not a good idea and so the station has officially been closed.”
The fate of the “fantastic” archive of satellite data is unknown. Dundee University said the decision to terminate funding for DSRS was “disappointing”. It was “not in a position” to match the £338,000 funding the organisation provided but alternatives were being sought in a bid to revive the station.