The satellite tracking group from the Intelligence & Space Research (ISR) Division of Los Alamos National Laboratory is tracking Santa Claus' whereabouts again on Christmas Eve.
The LANL will be using satellite tracking dishes in the high mountains of Los Alamos, New Mexico, as well as sensors on the FORTE satellite and the Cibola Flight Experiment (CFE) satellite to monitor Santa's progress as he delivers presents around the world to good children everywhere.
The FORTE satellite orbits at an altitude of 500 miles above the Earth's surface and can monitor the whole world for signs of Santa and his reindeer crew whenever they are in view.
The Federal Aviation Administration requires Santa to fly with a radio transponder on his sleigh, similar to what airplanes use, to ensure flight safety around the world. This transponder can be detected with the radio receiver that flies onboard both the FORTE and CFE satellites.
Rudoph's bright red nose also puts out optical and infrared light that makes him easy to detect, allowing an optical camera on FORTE to give us a glimpse of Santa and his team.
Visit http://santa.lanl.gov from December 24 to see Santa’s whirlwind journey. He can also be followed on www.noradsanta.org.
