• Forum
• SITREP
• Military
• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security

• Space

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Public Eye

Further Reading

Deep Space Tracking

Reference has already been made to sea-based tracking in support not only of Earth orbital missions, but deep space flights as well. In the case of the United States , NASA saw a need for 24-hour world-wide coverage to support its deep space operations. It first built 25.9-meter steer able dishes at Goldstone, California , and in Australia , South Africa , and Spain , and these were followed by 64-meter dishes for Goldstone. Australia , and Spain .

The Soviet Union could profit from a similar worldwide capability, but has not achieved the same level of coverage. Its equivalent of Goldstone is at Yevpatoriya in the Crimea , once visited by Sir Bernard Lovell of British Jodrell Bank fame. The design approach used by the Russians has been different from the American approach. They seem to have two principal sets of antennas, each consisting of a single steer able mount carrying eight medium sized dishes arranged in banks of four. By operating these mounts along a railroad track, they can serve as interferometers. One would think it logical that there be a second installation in the Soviet Far East to expand their coverage, but if there is such a major station, it has not been revealed.

Beyond that, they rely on such devices as the three largest of their tracking ships which may take turns serving in the Caribbean area to extend Soviet deep space coverage. The only other Soviet recourse is to rely upon automatic systems in their deep space craft, or if more nearly real time data and commands must be exchanged, to plan their missions to have crucial events take place when that part of the world containing the U.S.S.R. faces toward the distant spacecraft.

References;

1. SOVIET SPACE PROGRAMS, 1971-75, OVERVIEW, FACILITIES AND HARDWARE MANNED AND UNMANNED FLIGHT PROGRAMS, BIOASTRONAUTICS CIVIL AND MILITARY APPLICATIONS PROJECTIONS OF FUTURE PLANS, STAFF REPORT , THE COMMITTEE ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE .SCIENCES, UNITED STATES SENATE, BY THE SCIENCE POLICY RESEARCH DIVISION CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE, THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, VOLUME – I, AUGUST 30, 1976, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1976,