Word: minitrack
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Dates: during 1957-1957
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This left the main burden of the early tracking operations up to the Naval Research Laboratories, located in Washington, which by prior arrangement was to attempt to get a "fix" on the satellite by radio. It had established special "Minitrack" stations across the country for this purpose. Unfortunately, however, these stations were geared to receive signals on 108 megacycles, the frequency the Russians had promised to use in their satellite's transmitter. They had to be completely overhauled in order to pick up the 20 and 40 megacycle signals which the Soviets decided to use instead...
United States tracking operations for the second "moon" will meanwhile be based on information from radio contacts, primarily those made by the Naval Research Laboratory's minitrack stations...
...Minitrack. Last week at Blossom Point, Md., about 40 miles south of Washington, the Naval Research Laboratory showed how the satellite's feeble radio signals will be picked up. Nine enormous antennas scattered over a 25-acre field waited for whispers of energy from the sky. The satellite's role was played by a Navy airplane flying at 15,000 ft. and carrying the 13-oz. Minitrack radio transmitter that the real satellite will carry, its power suitably reduced to make up for the difference in altitude...
...signal came in strong, was amplified by a trailerful of electronic apparatus (made for the purpose by Bendix Aviation Corp.), and recorded on a chart. When the first real satellite takes to space, ten Minitrack receiving stations will be ready in the U.S., Cuba, Antigua, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Australia. Their information about the satellite's motion will be flashed electronically to Washington, where past orbits will be charted and future orbits predicted by computer...
...plumber's-helper satellite (cost: $2.50) was so successful that 100 of them are being assembled by the Air Force and Navy for use by Moonwatch teams across the country. Like the elaborate Minitrack stations, the teams will prepare for the day when the satellite is wheeling through space and any shred of news about it will be important...