Project West Ford Payload Telemetry System

Abstract

The beacon track and performance telemetry system used in the various Project West Ford communication pay loads is described. The dipole dispensing rate, the dispenser spin, tumble and temperature, as well as the system power-supply voltage, were measured and transmitted to the West Ford sites by means of a pulse-duration modulation system. In addition, the telemetry transmitter served as a beacon for accurate ground-based radar tracking of the pay loads. The most important system considerations were efficiency, low power, simplicity, and high reliability. A tabulation of the received data and the interpretation of the data are given.

Orbital properties of the West Ford dipole belt

“…Therefore, the maximum separation speed of dispensed dipoles should have been approximately 2.9 m/sec. The available telemetered data are not useful for determining the initial spin rate of the separate dispensers since the telemetry package itself underwent spin-axis conversion before any data were received [25]. 1) Radar Data: Radar measurements made during the weeks following the dispensing of the dipoles clearly showed the growth of the cloud and the expected relative density of dipoles along the orbit.…”