Spacecraft Flight Research Articles

Photographic Techniques for Project Mercury Ground Range Evaluation

The NASA Project Mercury spacecraft is tracked through its launch, orbit, and recovery phases by a world-wide network of tracking stations. The short duration of the manned flights and the paramount considerations of the astronaut's safety require a much more sophisticated ground range than is needed for unmanned flights of longer duration. Thorough testing of the ground acquisition and radar tracking equipment, prior to the spacecraft flights, was accomplished economically with boresight camera techniques, using DC-3 and C-54 aircraft specially equipped to simulate an orbiting spacecraft. Development of this test program is described, along with a discussion of the photographic equipment employed, the problems and limitations encountered and the aircraft equipment.