(Updated: Nov 24, 2015)
At 3 satellite facilities, inwards Britain, Republic of Cyprus too New Zealand, there's a exceptional antenna that allows NSA's partner agencies a pregnant increment inwards their capability to collect satellite communications.
This antenna is called Torus, too patch conventional parabolic dish antennas tin exclusively thought ane satellite at a time, ane unmarried Torus antenna is able to have the signals from upwards to 35 communications satellites.
These rare too expensive Torus antennas are used yesteryear some tv networks, but a unopen aspect at photos of the Five Eyes satellite stations has forthwith revealed the locations where Torus antennas are also used for gathering signals intelligence.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 General Dynamics Satcom Technologies Torus antenna
amongst the array of receiver heads clearly visible
The Torus antenna is rectangular, instead of round off similar the conventional satellite dishes. Its quasi-parabolic shape is genuinely a department of a geometrical shape called torus, which it gave its name. Where a conventional satellite antenna exclusively has ane receiving head, called a Low-Noise Block (LNB) downconverter, a Torus antenna has many of them, placed inwards an array.
How ane Torus antenna (brand call Simulsat) is able
to have the signals of upwards to 35 satellites
(Source: Evertz.com - Click to enlarge)
With a focal arc instead of a unmarried focus point, the Torus antenna tin selection upwards the signals from a hit of satellites which are inwards a GeoStationary Orbit (GSO), a fixed seat higher upwards the equator. This is the instance for most of the to a greater extent than than 100 communications satellites. Because a Torus antenna has to endure aligned amongst the seat of multiple satellites, it has to endure adjusted to a specific seat too thence cannot endure turned or spin to a greater extent than or less similar round off satellite dishes.
Satellite collection
The usage of Torus antennas for signals intelligence kickoff became clear from a slide that was share of a 2011 presentation for the annual Five Eyes conference. It was published inwards May 2014 inwards Glenn Greenwald's mass No Place To Hide.
The slide is titled "New Collection Posture" too contains a diagram showing the diverse steps inwards the procedure of satellite collection. Greenwald saw this equally testify that NSA wants to "Collect it All", although the diagram clearly shows this refers to only ane item stage:
For the kickoff measurement of this procedure it's said that "Torus increases physical access" - a clear description of the fact that ane such antenna tin have the signals from many satellites. With ane satellite having betwixt 24 too 32 transponders to relay a signal, ane Torus antenna, nether the correct circumstances, could inwards theory have nearly 1,000 communications channels simultaneously.
This doesn't necessarily agency that amongst Torus antennas, the Five Eyes agencies are forthwith "collecting everything". The novel antenna allows them access to much to a greater extent than satellites, but inwards the adjacent phase (dubbed "Know it All") they aspect for too selection out the channels that accept the best chances for useful information.
More access also agency the quest for to a greater extent than capacity to procedure these incoming signals, because they accept to endure converted, demodulated too demultiplexed before something tin endure done amongst them. And for network communications, also to a greater extent than XKEYSCORE (XKS) servers would endure needed for buffering, so analysts tin form out information of interest.
Torus antennas are useful to "increase the haystack", which doesn't hateful that the whole haystack is stored - exclusively those tufts that are probable to incorporate "needles".
Torus interception antennas
Now knowing what to aspect for, it was quite slow to "spy back" on the satellite intercept stations through the aerial images of Google Maps. By doing so, nosotros tin recognize Torus antennas inwards Britain, Republic of Cyprus too New Zealand.
Waihopai, New Zealand
Most information well-nigh the utilisation of a Torus antenna for signals intelligence is available for the ane at the Waihopai satellite intercept station inwards New Zealand, which is codenamed IRONSAND.
According to an article that was originally published inwards The Marlborough Express inwards July 2007, the Torus at Waihopai was built the calendar month before too was expected to endure operational later that year. Then GCSB manager Bruce Ferguson said that this novel dish would enable satellites to endure tracked to a greater extent than efficiently, too amongst a cost of nether 1 1000000 dollars, it was really skilful value for money, he said.
The Waihopai station inwards 2012, amongst the Torus antenna at the far left
(Photo: Gilbert van Reenen/Vital Images - Click to enlarge)
The novel Torus antenna joined the existing satellite dishes, the kickoff of which was built inwards 1989, too the instant inwards 1998. These dishes are covered yesteryear domes, which create them aspect similar giant golf game balls. According to the GCSB manager this was to ward off the weather, but it is by too large considered that it is genuinely to foreclose seeing which direction the dishes face.
The Torus didn't larn such a covering, perchance because it exclusively has express mightiness to manoeuvre on a fixed pad. But had the Torus antenna been covered similar the erstwhile dishes, nosotros wouldn't accept known well-nigh this novel too increased satellite interception capability.
The GCSB satellite station Waihopai, before (2005) too
after (2008) the Torus antenna was installed
The Torus at Waihopai is also mentioned inwards a late disclosed GCSB presentation from Apr 2010, which says: "TORUS forthwith enabling an increment of COMSAT/FORNSAT collection". This sounds similar this antenna became operational non long before, although it was already installed inwards 2007. Maybe it took a few years before the necessary processing capacity became fully functional.
Bude, United Kingdom
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 instant Torus antenna used for satellite interception is at GCHQ Bude, inwards the due west of Cornwall, inwards the United Kingdom. Bude, codenamed CARBOY, is a large station where GCHQ too NSA cooperate inwards the interception of both satellite too submarine cable communications.
Here, satellite interception started inwards the belatedly 1960s amongst ii giant dishes amongst a diameter of 27 meters. Nowadays at that spot are 21 satellite antennas of diverse sizes that tin embrace all the primary frequency bands too seem by too large orientated towards the INTELSAT, Intersputnik too INMARSAT communication satellites.
The Torus antenna at GCHQ Bude must accept been installed somewhere betwixt Jan 2011 too June 2013: on the electrical current Google Maps image, which is from Dec 30, 2010, the Torus antenna isn't silent present, but inwards the flick below, which is from June 23, 2013, the distinctively shaped antenna is clearly visible:
Satellite dishes at GCHQ Bude inwards Cornwall, amongst the Torus
antenna only correct of the large radome inwards the center
(Photo: Reuters/Kieran Doherty - Click to enlarge)
Ayios Nikolaos, Cyprus
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 tertiary Torus antenna is installed at the GCHQ listening station Ayios Nikolaos, which is share of the British Sovereign Base Area (SBA) of Dhekelia inwards Cyprus, where British signals intelligence has already been acquaint since the belatedly 1940s.
This listening station is codenamed SOUNDER too is share of the Five Eyes satellite interception network that became known equally ECHELON. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Google Maps satellite photograph shows that at that spot are several large too small-scale satellite dishes, including ane that tin endure recognized equally a Torus antenna:
Satellite dishes at GCHQ Ayios Nikolaos inwards Republic of Cyprus amongst
the ane at the left recognizable equally a Torus antenna
(Photo: Google Maps - Click to enlarge)
This satellite picture is from Apr 12, 2014, but because for this location no before images are available, it's non possible to tell inwards which twelvemonth this Torus antenna was installed. This makes that for now, the oldest reference to a Torus antenna used for signals intelligence is for Waihopai inwards New Zealand (2007).
Updates:
As a reader noticed inwards a comment below, images from Google globe demo that the Torus antenna at Ayios Nikolaos must accept been built somewhere betwixt May 2008 too Apr 2011, according to the images available for those dates.
So for signals intelligence, Torus antennas were later laid upwards inwards Waihopai (2007), inwards Ayios Nikolaos (between 2008 too 2011) too inwards Bude (between 2011 too 2013).
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 GCHQ document from July 2010 mentions Torus equally ane of the so electrical current projects "which furnish novel capabilities too may cut back back upwards costs".
According to a report (pdf) from the Nautilus Institute well-nigh Torus antennas from May 28, 2015, a Torus was also installed at Menwith Hill Station belatedly 2011, this fourth dimension underneath a slightly 'squashed' radome. Another ane was installed inwards 2012 at the GCHQ satellite station close Seeb inwards Oman, which is codenamed SNICK. Finally, inwards 2008, a Torus antenna was laid upwards at the Pine Gap station inwards Australia, which also got a satellite intercept role inwards the early on 2000s.
No Torus dishes were visible at the other major satellite stations of the Five Eyes countries, similar Yakima too Sugar Grove inwards the US,
Development
The Torus antenna was developed inwards 1973 yesteryear COMSAT Laboratories inwards Clarksburg, Maryland, where it operated an experimental installation that communicated amongst Intelsat satellites.
The master copy version of the Torus antenna was able to have the signals of upwards to vii satellites simultaneously too costed 1,1 1000000 U.S.A. dollars. At that time, the cost of a conventional dish, that was much larger than those used nowadays, was to a greater extent than or less 800,000 dollars.
Probably the kickoff experimental Torus antenna of Comsat,
hither beingness disassembled inwards August 2007
(Photo: Dennis Boiter/Comara.org - Click to enlarge)
In 1979, COMSAT applied for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to construct 3 Torus antennas for commercial use: inwards Etam (West Virginia), Andover (Maine) too Jamesburg (California). Each of them had to communicate simultaneously amongst 3 American domestic satellites which were inwards a geostationary scope at 4° degrees apart from eachother.
After the presentation of the kickoff commercial Torus antenna inwards 1981, the organisation didn't boot the bucket really popular, apparently because the efficiency of this antenna type was less than the parabolic satellite dishes too also had increased sidelobe levels. General Dynamics was plainly able to cut back these effects yesteryear the offset pattern of its custom made antennas.
Manufacturers
The largest too custom made Torus antennas seem to endure manufactured yesteryear General Dynamics Satcom Technologies. Smaller, criterion Torus antennas are available from General Dynamics' subsidiary Antenna Technology Communications Inc (ATCi), which produces 3 types nether the create call Simulsat. The width of these dishes is betwixt 8 too xiii meters.
Reportedly at that spot are only well-nigh twenty Torus antennas inwards the world, but it's non clear whether this issue is exclusively well-nigh the largest ones made yesteryear GD Satcom Technologies, or that it also includes that smaller dishes from ATCi. Main customers are the U.S.A. federal regime too tv stations that feed their cable networks amongst a large issue of satellite channels.
Simulsat antenna at the Microsoft campus inwards Silicon Valley
Television networks
An illustration of a Torus used yesteryear tv networks is the American sports broadcaster ESPN, which had a 24-meter Torus antenna installed at its headquarters inwards Bristol, Connecticut, inwards 2007. DIRECTV has 3 Torus dishes, including ane at its Los Angeles Broadcast Center (LABC), which receives signals from 32 satellites.
It's non known what the cost of a Torus antenna is, but it comes likely close 1 1000000 dollars. This tin endure worth it equally ane unmarried Torus eliminates the quest to install multiple conventional parabolic dishes, that tin cost upwards to several hundred G dollars each.
Update:
After this article had been published, a issue of other Torus-antennas were constitute yesteryear Cryptome, @sigwinch too other people. Most of them are at the dish farms of tv networks too commercial satellite companies. Until now, 17 additional Torus antennas tin endure seen at:
- CIA headquarters (present already inwards 2000)
- Schriever Air Force Base inwards Colorado
- An Intelsat Blue Planet station close Napa, California (2)
- An Intelsat Blue Planet station inwards Nuevo, California
- An Intelsat Blue Planet station close Atlanta, Georgia
- An RRsat America Blue Planet station close Hawley, Pennsylvania
- An Intelsat dish farm inwards Long Beach, California
- An Echostar satellite downlink facility inwards Chandler, Arizona
- The Intelsat Teleport close Castle Rock, Colorado
- An Echostar Broadcast Center inwards Cheyenne, Wyoming
- Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 satellite station close Lake Pochung, New Jersey
- Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 satellite Blue Planet station inwards Vernon county, New Jersey
- The HBO Communication Center inwards Hauppage, New York
- The roof of HBO Studio Productions inwards New York City (2)
- The Inmarsat access station inwards Nemea, Greece
Links too sources
- Nautilus.org: Expanded Communications Satellite Surveillance too Intelligence Activities Utilising Multi-beam Antenna Systems (pdf)
- Stuff.co.nz: Snowden Files: Inside Waihopai Domes
- Business sheet: General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies Business Overview (pdf)
- Product sheet: General Dynamics 7.0 Meter Torus (pdf)
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