[Alas Babylon!]

Well, by the late 70's, we had the ability to track a single bolt or nut orbiting in space, so tracking Big Bird and her "eggs" was pretty much mathematically precise:

I once watched an entire lunar eclipse from the roof of this thing, ten stories high!

[_Jim]

Well, by the late 70's, we had the ability to track a single bolt or nut orbiting in space, so tracking Big Bird and her "eggs" was pretty much mathematically precise:

Well, not exactly ... we had capability earlier than that.

"[The] system ... known as the Naval Space Surveillance System (NAVSPASUR), which was commissioned as an operational command in 1961."

"The system concept of NAVSPASUR is that of a continuous wave (CW) multistatic radar. A high-powered transmitter generates a large fan beam of energy, commonly called the "fence," which reflects signals from an orbiting object back to separate receiving stations. These receiving stations use large arrays of antennas as an interferometer to determine the angle and angle rates of arrival from the reflected signals. By observing the target satellite from several stations, the position can be determined; using multiple penetrations, the orbit can be inferred. This rather simple concept led to a highly reliable system that could detect virtually any satellite coming within the transmitter's illuminated field."

www.fas.org/spp/military/program/track/spasur_at.htm

[FreedomPoster]

What is that? A phased array radar site?

[saminfl]

Is that the one at Eglin AFB?