Application of satellite communication to hydrographic data processing

The Hydrographic Department and the Information Systems Department at the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) successfully transmitted coastal area sounding and position data collected by USNS John McDonnell, a recently built survey vessel, from the Gulf of Mexico to NAVOCEANO at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi.

Two external modems were used to modulate and demodulate the data that were received from a MICROVAX 3400 aboard USNS McDonnell and sent to the Intergraph Interactive Workstation at NAVOCEANO via the MARISTAT communication satellite. The Kermit file transfer protocol was used to bridge the different operating environments between input/output (I/O) devices and central processors.

Office processors were able to evaluate the data prior to the departure of the survey platform from the area. From this data, smooth sheets‐were produced. Equipment upgrades and more efficient use of satellite availability within the entire INMARSAT system should allow near‐real‐time editing and validation of field hydro‐graphic data.