How To Build Your Own Weather Satellite Station

You can capture live, high-resolution satellite imagery directly from space using little more than a simple radio antenna and a basic home computer. This analog technology has allowed people worldwide to intercept live weather data for decades.

The Automatic Picture Transmission system broadcasts data in real time as weather satellites drift overhead. Because the signal is analog and unencrypted, any amateur with the right equipment can pick up these broadcasts for free. It is a rare, hands-on way to interact with orbital technology from your own backyard. You effectively become a ground station for a satellite thousands of miles above the planet.