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NOAA TO AID NORAD IN TRACKING SANTA CLAUS

Satellite animationDecember 15, 2000 — On Christmas Eve this year, NOAA will help the North American Aerospace Defense Command track Santa Claus. NOAA will maintain a satellite watch of the North Pole for weather conditions and any unusual activity.

NOAA's Satellite Command and Data Acquisition Station in Fairbanks, Alaska, is ready to spot activity at the North Pole. NORAD will answer children's questions on its comprehensive, six-language Santa tracking Web site. All site material, including the live tracking event, will be available in English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese.

NORAD will also attempt to set the record straight in regards to outrageous allegations that have been made by several fifth grade students as to the existence of Santa Claus. Seeing is believing and NORAD has perfected its 46-year-old tradition of tracking Santa on Christmas Eve. Visual and audio updates will be posted hourly on the Web site from 7:00 a.m. Dec. 24 EST to 5:00 a.m. Dec. 25 EST.

2000 Program

The 2000 NORAD Tracks Santa Team again includes AOL, which will host the site on an extensive network of servers, and Analytical Graphics who created the site and all supporting imagery with NORAD. In addition, Globelink Services International coordinated the extensive translation required for the Web site. All the organizations and volunteers who help make this global NORAD Christmas project possible do so at no cost to the taxpayer. For more information, call Maj Jamie Robertson at (719) 554-5816, 2608 or 6889.

Relevant Web Sites
Santa tracking Web site

NOAA's Satellite Service


Media Contact:
Patricia Viets, NOAA Satellite Service, (301) 457-5005