Groundstation Datasets

Brahe includes curated groundstation location datasets from commercial satellite communication providers. These datasets provide standardized geographic coordinates and metadata for ground stations used in satellite operations, tracking, and communications.

Overview

Groundstation data in Brahe is embedded directly in the library, requiring no external files or network access. The data represents real commercial groundstation networks maintained by major satellite service providers.

Data Source: Publicly available information compiled from provider websites and documentation

Format: GeoJSON FeatureCollections parsed into PointLocation objects

Update Frequency: Updated periodically with Brahe releases

Available Providers

Brahe includes groundstation data from six major commercial providers:

Provider	Description	Network Type
Atlas	Atlas Space Operations	Commercial ground network
AWS	Amazon Web Services Ground Station	Cloud-based ground services
KSAT	Kongsberg Satellite Services	Global polar network
Leaf	Leaf Space	Commercial ground network
SSC	Swedish Space Corporation	Commercial and institutional
Viasat	Viasat	Communication services

Provider Characteristics

Atlas Space Operations - Modern cloud-based ground station network - Focus on automated operations and API access - Growing global coverage - Multiple frequency band support

AWS Ground Station - Cloud-native ground station service - Pay-as-you-go pricing model - Integration with AWS services - Strategic global placement

KSAT (Kongsberg Satellite Services) - Extensive polar coverage (Arctic and Antarctic) - Long operational history - Large established network - Strong Earth observation support

Leaf Space - European-based commercial provider - Focus on LEO satellite support - Flexible antenna sharing - Modern infrastructure

SSC (Swedish Space Corporation) - Mix of commercial and institutional facilities - Strong presence in northern latitudes - Launch support capabilities - Experienced operator

Viasat - Primarily communications-focused - Global coverage - High-capacity infrastructure - Commercial satellite services

Data Format

Each groundstation is represented as a PointLocation with standardized properties:

import brahe as bh

stations = bh.datasets.groundstations.load("ksat")
station = stations[0]

# Geographic coordinates (WGS84)
lon = station.lon()      # Longitude in degrees
lat = station.lat()      # Latitude in degrees
alt = station.alt()      # Altitude in meters

# Metadata properties
props = station.properties
name = station.get_name()              # Station name
provider = props["provider"]            # Provider name (e.g., "KSAT")
bands = props["frequency_bands"]        # Supported bands (e.g., ["S", "X"])

Properties Dictionary

All groundstations include these standard properties:

• provider: Provider name (string, e.g., "KSAT", "Atlas")
• frequency_bands: List of supported frequency bands (e.g., ["S", "X", "Ka"])

Additional properties may be included in future releases as data becomes available.

Frequency Bands

Common frequency bands in groundstation data:

Band	Frequency Range	Typical Use
S	2-4 GHz	TT&C, telemetry
X	8-12 GHz	High-rate downlink, radar
Ku	12-18 GHz	Communications
Ka	26-40 GHz	High-bandwidth communications

Use Cases

Access Analysis

Compute visibility windows between satellites and ground networks:

import brahe as bh

# Load ground network
stations = bh.datasets.groundstations.load("ksat")

# Create satellite propagator
tle1 = "1 25544U 98067A   21001.50000000  .00001764  00000-0  40967-4 0  9997"
tle2 = "2 25544  51.6461 306.0234 0003417  88.1267  25.5695 15.48919103000003"
propagator = bh.SGPPropagator.from_tle(tle1, tle2)

# Define search period
start = bh.Epoch.from_datetime(2024, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, tsys="UTC")
end = bh.Epoch.from_datetime(2024, 1, 2, 0, 0, 0, tsys="UTC")

# Compute access windows with minimum elevation constraint
constraint = bh.ElevationConstraint(5.0)  # 5 degrees
accesses = bh.location_accesses(
    stations,
    propagator,
    start,
    end,
    constraint
)

# Analyze coverage
for access in accesses:
    station_name = access.location.get_name()
    duration = (access.end - access.start) / 60.0
    print(f"{station_name}: {duration:.1f} minutes")

Network Coverage Analysis

Evaluate geographic distribution and coverage:

import brahe as bh

# Load all providers
all_stations = bh.datasets.groundstations.load_all()

# Analyze by latitude band
arctic = [s for s in all_stations if s.lat() > 66.5]
temperate = [s for s in all_stations if -66.5 <= s.lat() <= 66.5]
antarctic = [s for s in all_stations if s.lat() < -66.5]

print(f"Arctic stations: {len(arctic)}")
print(f"Temperate stations: {len(temperate)}")
print(f"Antarctic stations: {len(antarctic)}")

# Find stations by capability
x_band_stations = [
    s for s in all_stations
    if "X" in s.properties["frequency_bands"]
]
print(f"X-band capable: {len(x_band_stations)}")

Mission Planning

Select appropriate ground network for mission requirements:

import brahe as bh

# Requirements
required_bands = ["S", "X"]
min_elevation = 5.0
preferred_regions = ["arctic", "temperate"]

# Evaluate providers
providers = bh.datasets.groundstations.list_providers()

for provider in providers:
    stations = bh.datasets.groundstations.load(provider)

    # Filter by capability
    capable = [
        s for s in stations
        if all(band in s.properties["frequency_bands"] for band in required_bands)
    ]

    # Check geographic distribution
    arctic_count = len([s for s in capable if s.lat() > 60])

    print(f"\n{provider.upper()}")
    print(f"  Capable stations: {len(capable)}")
    print(f"  Arctic coverage: {arctic_count}")

Data Quality and Limitations

Accuracy

Geographic Coordinates: - Based on publicly available information - Typically accurate to ~100-1000 meters - Sufficient for access analysis and mission planning - Not suitable for precision pointing or RF link budgets

Frequency Bands: - Reflects general provider capabilities - May not represent all antennas at a site - Subject to provider updates and changes - Verify specific capabilities with provider for operational use

What's Included

Included Data: - Geographic location (latitude, longitude, altitude) - Provider identification - Supported frequency bands - Station names (where available)

Not Included: - Antenna parameters (gain, beamwidth, etc.) - Operational schedules or availability - Pricing or commercial terms - Real-time status or health - Contact information

Data Currency

Groundstation data is updated periodically as part of Brahe releases:

• Sources: Provider websites, press releases, public documentation
• Update cycle: As providers announce new stations or changes
• Verification: Manual review of provider information
• No guarantee: Networks change; verify operational details with providers

Best Practices

When to Use Embedded Data

Appropriate Uses: - Access analysis and link budget studies - Mission planning and concept development - Geographic coverage visualization - Network comparison studies - Educational purposes

Verify Before: - Contract negotiations - Operational mission planning - RF link budget calculations - Regulatory filings - Critical mission operations

Combining Networks

For comprehensive coverage, combine multiple providers:

import brahe as bh

# Load multiple providers
primary = bh.datasets.groundstations.load("ksat")
backup = bh.datasets.groundstations.load("ssc")

# Combine into single network
combined = primary + backup

# Compute access with redundant coverage
accesses = bh.location_accesses(
    combined,
    propagator,
    start,
    end,
    constraint
)

Custom Groundstation Data

For proprietary or specialized groundstations, create custom data:

import brahe as bh

# Create custom groundstation
custom_station = bh.PointLocation(
    lon=-122.4,  # degrees
    lat=37.8,    # degrees
    alt=100.0    # meters
).add_property("provider", "Custom") \
 .add_property("frequency_bands", ["S", "X", "Ka"])

# Combine with commercial network
ksat_stations = bh.datasets.groundstations.load("ksat")
all_stations = [custom_station] + ksat_stations

Or load from GeoJSON file:

import brahe as bh

# Load custom network from file
custom_network = bh.datasets.groundstations.load_from_file("my_stations.geojson")

API Access

Loading Data

import brahe as bh

# Single provider
ksat = bh.datasets.groundstations.load("ksat")

# All providers
all_stations = bh.datasets.groundstations.load_all()

# List available providers
providers = bh.datasets.groundstations.list_providers()

See the Groundstation Functions Reference for complete API documentation.

See Also

• Datasets Overview - Understanding datasets in Brahe
• Groundstation API Reference - Complete function documentation