Radio Propagation Research at the National Bureau of Standards

Abstract

The Central Radio Propagation Laboratory is the central agency of the U. S. Government for obtaining, analyzing, and disseminating information on the propagation of radio waves at all frequencies along the surface of the earth, in the atmosphere, and in the space. In order to carry out its responsibility, this Laboratory conducts research on the nature of radio waves, the nature of the media through which radio waves are transmitted, the interaction of the waves with the media, and the nature of radio noise and interference effects. This article describes some of that research and summarizes the historical background leading to the present framework for carrying out the research. To the best of the author's knowledge, no completely comprehensive general summary of the Laboratory's history, objectives, and research programs has previously been published.