Summary
PLATO is a fully-robotic observatory designed for operation in Antarctica. It generates its own electricity (about 1kW), heat (sufficient to keep two 10-foot shipping containers comfortably above 0◦C when the outside temperature is at −70◦C), and connects to the internet using the Iridium satellite system (providing 30MB/day of data transfer). Following a successful first year of operation at Dome A during 2008, PLATO was upgraded with new instruments for 2009.
Authors:Ashley M.C.B. Allen G. Bonner C.S. Bradley S.G. Cui X. Everett J.R. Feng L. Gong X. Hengst S. Hu J. Jiang Z. Kulesa C.A. Lawrence J.S. Li Y. Luong-Van D.M. McCaughrean M.J. Moore A.M. Pennypacker C. Qin W. Riddle R. Shang Z. Storey J.W.V. Sun B. Suntzeff N. Tothill N.F.H. Travouillon T. Walker C.K. Wang L. Yan J. Yang H. Yang J. York D. Yuan X. Zhang X. Zhang Z. Zhou X. Zhu Z.
Published in: 2010
Category 3: Conference paper
Program area: Space and Atmospheric Sciences
Ashley M.C.B., Allen G., Bonner C.S., Bradley S.G., Cui X., Everett J.R., Feng L., Gong X., Hengst S., Hu J., Jiang Z., Kulesa C.A., Lawrence J.S., Li Y., Luong-Van D.M., McCaughrean M.J., Moore A.M., Pennypacker C., Qin W., Riddle R., Shang Z., Storey J.W.V., Sun B., Suntzeff N., Tothill N.F.H., Travouillon T., Walker C.K., Wang L., Yan J., Yang H., Yang J., York D., Yuan X., Zhang X., Zhang Z., Zhou X., Zhu Z.
(2010)
PLATO - A robotic observatory for the Antarctic plateau,
Proceedings of the 3rd ARENA Conference, EAS Publications Series
40.
79-84;