The MIRL is involved in developing an Autonomous Real-time Remote Observatory (ARRO) for use in polar climates, with a primary objective being the ability to accommodate an integrated suite of instruments, with the goal of obtaining multi-instrument observations for synergistic studies.

     The facility will be able to accommodate at least a dozen instruments and instrument electronics to be provided by client institutions under separate funding. It will include a power system (Antarctic Wind Farm) and heated space sufficient for these experiments, as well as data acquisition, data storage, and real-time transmission of at least some data via satellite. The observatory will also be capable of receiving and reacting to pre-defined commands transmitted by satellite.

     Although the observatory will be designed specifically for year-round operation in the challenging environment of the Antarctic plateau, the intent is that it will also be capable of operating in polar climates in general, including Arctic regions. In addition, although this proposal is motivated by the need for an improved capacity for making observations supporting solar-terrestrial physics, the facility will be designed for general use and will be capable of supporting a wide variety of instruments.

     The ARRO system will be tested at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover and on Mt. Washington prior to installation on the polar plateau in about two years.