|
Argos Data Collection
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Argos logo (older) | Argos logo (newer) |
|
|
Argos Data Collection
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Argos logo (older) | Argos logo (newer) |
This page contains philatelic information on the Argos data collection and location system (and Data Collection System (DCS) on geostationary satellites). Catalog numbers, years of issue, and notes on the satellites featured are given when available. If readers know of additional information or images, please contact the authors using the e-mail addresses at the bottom of this page.
Argos is a satellite-based system which collects, processes, and disseminates environmental data from fixed and mobile platforms worldwide, as well as the ability to geographically locate the source of the data anywhere on the Earth. Since 1978, Argos has provided data to environmental research and protection communities that, in many cases, was otherwise unobtainable. Many remote automatic observing stations report via Argos.
Argos was developed under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The system utilizes both ground and satellite-based resources to accomplish its mission. This includes instruments carried aboard the NOAA polar-orbiting environmental satellites (POES), receiving stations around the world, and major processing facilities in France and the US.
The necessary equipment for Argos has been placed aboard various satellites:
Argos is not an acronym, rather, it is the chosen name for the system. Unlike the COSPAS / SARSAT system designed specifically for the rescue of persons in distress, the Argos system is intended for environmental data collection and limited other use. However, many of the system characteristics are similar, such as global coverage provided by the use of the same polar-orbiting weather satellites to collect and transfer the data to ground stations. Reference: http://noaasis.noaa.gov/ARGOS/.
The Argos system/program should not be confused with the ARGOS (Advanced Research Global Observation Satellite) astronomy mission launched in 1999.
Since the Argos and GOES DCS (Data Collection Systems) can accept data from various data collection platforms including land autostations and ocean weather buoys, philatelic items that refer to DCS can be considered to refer implicitly to those two types of data collection platforms.
| Launch covers (including anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers) (farther below) |
Other postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.) (immediately below) |
|---|---|
| Argos data collection and location system | Argos data collection and location system |
| DCS on geostationary satellites | DCS on geostationary satellites |
Below is a list of Argos and DCS on postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.).
| Country | Catalog Number | Type of Item | Year of Issue | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argos data collection and location system | ||||
| Bulgaria | 4772 (Mi5270) 4772+tab | From MS15 (4772a (15x 4772 + 5 tabs)), also detail; joint issue with Israel 2115 | 2016 | Argos bird tracking from ATN |
| Bulgaria Israel | 4772 sc 2115 sc | Joint-issue souvenir card/leaf, also back | ||
| Comoro Islands | 768b (BL350A) i768b (BL350B) | In (upper-right) margin of SS1 (768) In (upper-right) margin of imperforate SS1 (i768) | 1991 | "'Système Argos'"; also "Satellite NOAA" |
| France | None | (Association philatélique du CNES) cachet on cover | 1979 | Aerial view of the Argos Centre at CNES (Centre National d'Études Spatiales) |
| France India | 4798-4799 folder1 2725-2726 folder1 | Dual-country folder inside, also outside | 2015 | "SARAL-Altika [is] an oceanography and localisation satellite" ("localisation" refers to the Argos payload of this satellite; the name "SARAL" is actually an acronym that stands for "Satellite with Argos and Altika") |
| France India | 4798-4799 folder2 2725-2726 folder2 | Dual-country FDC folder inside, also outside | ||
| French Southern and Antarctic Territories | C50 (Mi128) iC50 | Imperforate | 1979 | As part of the FGGE, isentropic balloon data and ocean buoy data were collected by a ATN-type/NOAA satellite as part of "Programme Argos" |
| French Southern and Antarctic Territories | C50 fdc1 | Stamp on FDC (Éditions P.J. cachet) | ||
| French Southern and Antarctic Territories | C50 fdc2 | Stamp on FDC (Éditions J.F. cachet) | ||
| French Southern and Antarctic Territories | C114 (Mi281) iC114 | Imperforate | 1991 | "Albatros - Argos" |
| French Southern and Antarctic Territories | C114 ds | Deluxe sheet (C114) | ||
| French Southern and Antarctic Territories | C114 fdc1 | Stamp on FDC (FSAT PO official cachet) | ||
| French Southern and Antarctic Territories | C114 fdc2 | Stamp and (Éditions J.F.) cachet on FDC | ||
| French Southern and Antarctic Territories | C147 (Mi383) | 1998 | Penguin with Argos transmitter; "Manchots Argos" | |
| French Southern and Antarctic Territories | 468b (Mi783) | One of strip of 5 (468 (a-e + 5 labels)) (Mi782-786), or five of MS25 (468f (5x 468 (a-e + 5 labels)) | 2012 | King penguin with Argos transmitter |
| India | 2725-2726 brochure1 | Brochure outside, also inside | 2015 | "The satellite with Argos and ALTIKA (SARAL) is a joint Indo-French mission" |
| India | 2725-2726 brochure2 | FDC brochure | ||
| Israel | 2115 (Mi2529) 2115+tab | From MS15 (2115a (15x 2115 + 5 tabs)), also detail; joint issue with Bulgaria 4772 | 2016 | Argos bird tracking from ATN |
| Israel Bulgaria | 2115 sc 4772 sc | Joint-issue souvenir card/leaf, also back | ||
| Malagasy (DR) | 969 (Mi1248A) i969 (Mi1248B) | One of MS6 (972b (967-972)) (Mi1246A-1251A) One of imperforate MS6 (i972b (i967-i972)) (Mi1246B-1251B) | 1990 | "Système Argos" and "Programmes de Suivi Appliqués aux Éléphants en Namibie" (Tracking Programs for Namibian Elephants) |
| Malagasy (DR) | 969a (BL135) i969a | SS1 (969) Imperforate SS1 (i969) | ||
| Madagascar | 1304A (Mi1799aA-1804aA) i1304A (Mi1799aB-1804aB) | On one of MS6, 972b overprinted in silver On one of imperforate MS6, i972b overprinted in silver | 1996 | "Système Argos" and "Programmes de Suivi Appliqués aux Éléphants en Namibie" (Tracking Programs for Namibian Elephants) |
| Malagasy (DR) | 1304B (Mi1799bA-1804bA) i1304B (Mi1799bB-1804bB) | On one of MS6, 972b overprinted in gold On one of imperforate MS6, i972b overprinted in gold | ||
| United States | None | (R.E. Nichol) cachet on Nimbus-3 post-launch cover | 1970 | Wyoming elk (Monique) tracking, Operation MOE (Movement of Elk), likely using Interrogation Recording and Location System (IRLS), precursor to Argos |
| United States | None | (R.E. Nichol) cachet (different) on Nimbus-3 post-launch cover, also back | ||
| United States | None | Cover back, also front | 1978 | Argos logo; Mojave orbitography station - "Argos specific"; TIROS-N - first satellite with Argos system (in text) |
| Data Collection System (DCS) on geostationary satellites1 | ||||
| France | C51 sc (Mi2157 sc) | Souvenir card | 1981 | "collection of data measured by automatic or semi-automatic platforms" (referring to DCS equipment) |
| Micronesia | 297 (BL39) | In (lower) margin of SS1 | 1998 | "data is transmitted from the buoys via satellite" (referring to DCS equipment) |
1Data Collection System (DCS) is similar to Argos, but is carried on geostationary satellites.
Below is a list of Argos and DCS on satellite and balloon launch covers.
| Country | Cancel Date | Cancel Location | Type of Item | Notes on Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argos data collection and location system | ||||
| United States | 1969-04-14 | Vandenberg AFB, CA | (Orbit Covers) cachet on Nimbus-3 and SECOR-13 launch cover | "Interrogation Recording and Location System" (IRLS), precursor to Argos |
| United States | 1970-04-08 | Vandenberg AFB, CA | (Orbit Covers) cachet on Nimbus-4 and Topo-1 launch cover | "Interrogation Recording and Location System" (IRLS), precursor to Argos |
| United States | 1978-10-13 | Vandenberg AFB, CA | (RCA) cachet on TIROS-N launch cover | (Argos) "Data Collection System" |
| United States | 1978-10-13 | Vandenberg AFB, CA | (Association philatélique du CNES) cachet on TIROS-N launch cover, also back | Argos (also logo on back) |
| United States | 1978-10-13 | GSFC, MD | (CNES) back of TIROS-N launch cover, also front | Argos logo, and "TIROS-N Argos" |
| South Africa | 1981-09-15 | Pretoria | (Lollini) cachet on stratospheric balloon launch cover | "Balise Argos"; (refers to Argos transmitter, but there is no apparent relation to Argos transmitters in the rest of the cover, except that the ATN-type/NOAA satellite depicted does represent the type of satellite that could receive Argos transmitter signals) |
| Data Collection System (DCS) on geostationary satellites1 | ||||
| United States | 1974-05-17 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit Covers) cachet on SMS-1 launch cover | "Data collection platforms" |
| United States | 1975-02-06 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit Covers) cachet on SMS-2 launch cover | "Data collection platforms" |
| United States | 1975-10-16 | Kennedy Space Center FL | (Space Voyage) cachet on GOES-1 launch cover | "will collect and relay environmental data for weather detection and prediction, observation of ocean currents, monitor of water levels, etc." |
| United States | 1975-10-16 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Space Voyage) cachet on GOES-1 launch cover | |
| United States | 1975-10-16 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit Covers) cachet on GOES-1 launch cover | "receive and transmit environmental info up to 10,000 manned and un-manned data collection platforms" |
| United States | 1977-07-14 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Orbit Covers) cachet on GMS-1 launch cover | "receive and transmit environmental info up to 10,000 manned and un-manned data collection platforms" |
| United States | 1977-11-22 | GSFC, MD | (GSFC Stamp Club) cachet on Meteosat-1 launch cover | "data collection from remote stations, both land and buoys" |
| United States | 1978-06-16 | Cape Canaveral FL | (Centennial) cachet on GOES-3 launch cover | "can collect weather data from up to 10,000 ground stations in six hours" |
| United States | 1981-08-10 | Greenbelt MD | (Space Voyage green and yellow and orange) cachet on GMS-2 launch cover | picture of data being collected from a ship and an ocean buoy |
| Japan | 1981-08-11 1981-08-11 | Minamitane (text cancel) Tanegashima (scenic cancel) | (Space Voyage purple and pink and orange) cachet on GMS-2 launch cover | |
| Japan | 1981-08-11 | Tsukubagakuen | (Space Voyage purple and blue) cachet on GMS-2 launch cover | |
| United States | 1983-04-28 | Greenbelt MD | (GSFC Stamp Club) cachet on GOES-6 launch cover | "collects local environmental data" |
| United States | 1983-04-28 | Kennedy Space Center FL | (SCPS) cachet on GOES-6 launch cover | "collect local environmental data...from up to 10,000 automated ground stations" (referring to DCS equipment) |
| United States | 1986-05-03 | Greenbelt MD | (GSFC Stamp Club) cachet on GOES-G [failed] launch cover | "data collection, data relay" |
| United States | 1987-02-26 | Greenbelt MD | (GSFC Stamp Club) cachet on GOES-7 launch cover | "data collection, data relay" |
| French Guiana | 1988-06-15 | Kourou | (Association philatélique du CNES) back of Meteosat-3 and OSCAR-13 and Panamsat-1 launch cover, also front | "Data collection by platforms (DCP)" |
| United States | 1989-09-05 | Greenbelt MD | (Space Voyage purple and orange) cachet on GMS-4 launch cover | picture of data being collected from a ship and an ocean buoy |
| Japan | 1989-09-06 | Tsukubagakuen | (Space Voyage brown and orange) cachet on GMS-4 launch cover | |
| Japan | 1989-09-06 | Tanegashima (scenic cancel) | (Space Voyage blue and orange) cachet on GMS-4 launch cover | |
1Data Collection System (DCS) is similar to Argos, but is carried on geostationary satellites.
Back to Un-manned Satellite Philately.
