A zero-error operational video data compression system

A data compression system has been operating since February 1972, using ATS spin-scan cloud cover data. With the launch of ITOS 3 in October 1972, this data compression system has become the only source of near-realtime very high resolution radiometer image data at the data processing facility. The VHRR image data are compressed and transmitted over a 50 kilobit per second wideband ground link. The goal of the data compression experiment was to send data quantized to six bits at twice the rate possible when no compression is used, while maintaining zero error between the transmitted and reconstructed data. All objectives of the data compression experiment were met, and thus a capability of doubling the data throughput of the system has been achieved.