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FINAL REPORT 

BIT II MISSION 7063 

24 December 1965- 

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FINAL REPORT 

BIT II MISSION 7063 

1. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES. 

The objective of the BIT II program is to determine if 

and when the AGENA vehicle is tracked by a radar operating in the 

150- to 300-Mc frequency range. The BIT II system, designed to 

fulfill this objective, covers this VHF band with a hunt-lock on 

receiver which searches for strong signals having wide pulse widths 

characteristic of long range surveillance and tracking radars. On 

those signals which qualify, the system locks on to determine if the 

emitter is continuously tracking the vehicle. Gross parameter 

measurements are made during this period which enable an analyst 

to determine the signal characteristics for possible emitter identification, 

2. MISSION SUMMARY. 

2. 1 Mission Highlights. 

The BIT II system intercepted a signal identified as 

on 24 September from 0803:19Z to 0805:16Z. The signal was 

detected as the vehicle passed from 53. 2N/72. 4E to 45. 5N/74. 9E at 

an altitude of 112 nautical miles on orbit 23. From the ground trace 

of the orbit and the known location of the emitter, it is concluded 

that this was a side lobe intercept and that the emitter did not track 

the AGENA vehicle. 

The system also made several intercepts of the 

TALL KING, and 1111111during the passes over the USSR and China. 

These signals are of no interest to this mission since they did not 

appear to continuously track the AGENA. They do, however, serve 

as operational checks on the BIT II system. 

The operational data showed the system to be operating 

under exceptionally noisy conditions which inhibited the analysis for 

the mission. Part of the interference was due to the Link II telemetry 

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2. 1 -- Continued. 

transmitter on the vehicle. This was on only over the U. S. tracking 

stations and, therefore, did not interfere with the primary mission. 

The predominant noise interference was probably generated within 

the BIT II system itself or it was due to the susceptibility of the system 

to noise generated both in the system and on the vehicle. Although 

this interference reduced the quality of the data and made the analysis 

more difficult, it did not prevent the identification of intercepts. 

2. 2 Flight Summary. 

Vehicle Number 1619 

Launch Date 22 September 1965 

Launch Time 2135Z 

Inclination 80 degrees 

Apogee 211 nautical miles 

Perigee 96 nautical miles 

Period 90. 2 minutes 

3. OPERATIONAL RESULTS. 

3. 1 Intercept. 

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3. 1 

lef73EC—FtEf- 

-- Continued. 

3. 2 Other Intercepts. 

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3. 2 -- Continued. 

4. SYSTEM PERFORMANCE. 

4. 1 System Description (See Appendix). 

4. 2 Specifications. 

(a) Frequency Coverage 147 to 305 Mc 

(b) Receiver Detection Sensitivity -62 dbm to 240 Mc 

-58 dbm to 305 Mc 

(c) Receiver Bandpass 5. 2 Mc @ 220 Mc 

(d) Image Rejection 48 db @ 220 Mc 

(e) Pulse Width Qualification 15 microseconds 

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-62 to -37 dbrn Low Channel 

-37 to -5 dbrn High Channel 

2-100 milliseconds Low Channel 

1-35 milliseconds High Channel 

20 to 2000 microseconds 

50 to 1500 pps Non Qualified 

10 to 600 pps Qualified 

4. 2 -- Continued. 

( f) Measurement Ranges 

Amplitude 

Pulse Interval 

Pulse Width 

Pulse Count 

Discriminator Range +3 to -2 Mc about IF 

(g) Duration of Sweep Lock 3. 8 seconds 

4. 3 System Operation. 

The operation of the BIT II system during this mission 

was characteriaed by an abnormal susceptibility to noise generated 

both on the vehicle and in the BIT II unit itself. As the receiver 

swept from 300 to 150 Mc, it would stop several times on noise and 

occasionally on valid signals. The false stops were characterized 

by no measurable readings in the amplitude and pulse width channels, 

random measurements in the pulse count channel, and a constant level 

in the frequency channel which corresponded to the center frequency 

of the Discriminator. The first pulse interval channel would usually 

saturate because one noise pulse would start the measurement but 

the second would not occur until after saturation at 100 milliseconds. 

The remaining PI channels were relatively free from the interference. 

The valid sweep stops could be identified because all of the measurement 

channels would be responding with reasonably stable readings. The 

influence of the noise, however, added uncertainty and inconsistencies 

to the measurements. It especially affected the sweep step, frequency, 

and pulse count measurements, Because the sweep stopped several 

times and the commutated wavetrain in itself was noisy, it was difficult 

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4. 3 — Continued. 

to determine exactly which step was stopped. The frequency measurements from the Discriminator were severely affected because the 

noise would not allow the measurement of frequencies below the center 

frequency of the Discriminator. The pulse count channel was affected 

by the addition of noise pulses to the count of signal pulses. In spite 

of the system's response to the noise, it was still possible to recognize 

valid signal intercepts and to make approximate parameter measurements. 

The most serious effect was the increased difficulty of data analysis. 

The problem of the system's noise susceptibility was 

recognized in the later systems about the time of this mission. Several 

corrective steps have been taken to reduce or completely eliminate 

the system's response to this noise. These steps include the following 

and were incorporated on all systems with the exception of the unit 

used on this mission. 

(1) A pi-filter was added to the +10 volt line in the 

Discriminator and IF Amplifier. 

(2) The +10 volt line in the IF Amplifier was re-routed 

to reduce the coupling of noise from the B+ line to 

the Amplifier. 

(3) The sweep generator line was re-routed in the cable 

harness. 

(4) Additional shielding was added in the IF Amplifier 

and Discriminator. 

(5) The tie down rod which goes through the IF Amplifier 

and Calibrator was changed from metal to fiberglass 

to prevent it from coupling energy between the circuit 

sticks. 

Another type of interference was noted during passes 

over the U. S. and Canada. The amplitude channel would suddenly 

jump to approximately -45 dbm and the sweep would start to double 

step. This condition was present during every real time read out and 

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4. 3 -- Continued. 

during stored time read in periods over U. S. tracking stations. A 

check with Lockheed revealed that the source of the interference 

was the Link II telemetry transmitter which was located next to the 

BIT II unit. Although the operation of the transmitter severely 

affects the operation of the BIT II unit, it is not a serious problem 

since, the interference occurs only over the U. S. tracking stations. 

It is possible that the corrective measures noted previously will 

reduce the effect of the transmitter_on the operation of BIT II. 

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APPENDIX 

BIT II SYSTEM DESCRIPTION 

General System Operation. 

The BIT II system is carried on the aft rack of a horizontally stabilized AGENA vehicle. It flies in a tail-first orientation 

with the vehicle axis maintained in the orbital plane. After the vehicle 

is in orbit the antenna is deployed by inflating a 3-foot boom and a 

torus which forms a lollipop-shaped structure. The antenna, consisting 

of an equiangular planer spiral attached to a membrane stretched across 

the torus, is placed in the vertical plane (rudder position) to provide 

optimum coverage on both sides of the flight path. It has a nominal 

gain of 0 db, a beamwidth of 140 degrees and a 9-db null which occurs 

in the plane of the torus. Although the antenna is suitable for operation 

over a 150-Mc to 1000-Mc frequency range, it is only used to provide 

coverage in the 150- to 300-Mc band. 

The BIT II receiver system includes a voltage-tuned 

superheterodyne receiver, circuitry for the measurement and storage 

of signal parameters, an electronic commutator for data sampling, 

and a time reference generator. The primary output of the system 

is a commutator wavetrain containing data on the signal amplitude, 

frequency, pulse width, pulse interval, and total pulse count, plus 

a time reference, calibration voltages, and temperature and voltage 

monitors. A second output, which is not normally used in the operational 

configuration of the system, is the receiver video. This is available 

to meet any future requirement for wide bandwidth signal information. 

The commutator wavetrain (CWT) output of the system 

is connected to an IRIG channel 14 telemetry subcarrier oscillator 

for real time data transmission and through a relay to a narrow band 

tape recorder for data storage during read in over foreign areas. 

Channel 14, which is transmitted on the telemetry link II, provides 

information on the operation of the system in real time while the 

vehicle is passing over the telemetry and tracking stations.. This 

information is primarily used to provide a time tie betWeen universal 

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time and the time reference stored on the tape recorder. Channel 

14 has a center frequency of 22 kc, a bandwidth of 3300 cps and a 

nominal intelligence bandwidth of 330 cps. This is more than 

adequate bandwidth for the 75 channels per second rate of the CWT 

signal. 

During the system operation over foreign areas, the 

CWT output is FM recorded on a narrow band tape recorder. This 

recorder, which is shared with the primary payload, has a read in 

capacity of approximately 200 minutes and a record frequency response 

of DC to 30 cps for square wave modulation. This response is 

marginally' adequate for the CWT signal. During passes over the 

telemetry stations, the recorder reads out in the reverse direction 

at 26 times the read in rate. Thus, the tape can be completely read 

out in approximately 7. 5 minutes. The resulting information rate 

is now 1950 channels per second which requires the use of a channel F 

subcarrier for transmission on the Link II telemetry system. 

Channel F has a 95-kc center frequency, a bandwidth of 28. 5 kc and 

an information bandwidth of 2900 cps. 

The operation of the entire system is controlled by . 

five brushes on the vehicle programmer. These brushes control 

the operation of the BIT II receiver, the Link II telemetry transmitter, 

and the tape recorder. The program for the system operation is 

determined prior to launch and- remains fixed with the exception of 

shifting the entire program forward or backward in time so that 

it coincides with the achieved orbit. 

BIT II RECEIVER SYSTEM 

General. 

The BIT II system shown in the block diagram consists 

of a voltage tuned superheterodyne receiver covering the 150.- to 300-Mc 

frequency range, logic circuitry for receiver control, data measurement 

and storage circuitry, a system calibrator, and support equipment 

which include a DC-DC converter, commutator, and a time reference 

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PI 

ANTENNA INTEGRATOR 

INPUT 2-50 MS 

PI-A 

RESET 

-► TUNABLE 

- PRES ELECTOR PLD-A 

AMPLITUDE 

-37 TO -7 DBM 

VIDEO RCVR 

AMP VIDEO 

SYSTEM 

CALIBRATOR 

256 SEC 

TRIG 

TIME 

REFERENCE 

GENERATOR 

DC-DC 

CONVERTER 

SIGNAL 

DISTRIBUTION 

BOARD 

POWER INPUT 

25 VDC 

15 MA 

CONTINUOUS 

25 VDC 

140 MA --~-► 

PROGRAMMED 

H COMMUTATOR 

30 CH 1 POLE 

2.5 FPS 

1111111 

ffittttt 

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256 

2048 

GATE 

CONTROL 

COUNTER 

+101/ 

-6V TO DIODE -111. 

PI-B1 

PI-B2 

PI-B3 

PI-B4 

-o 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 VOLTA 

MONIT 

 6 E/ 

RES 

PC-B 

20-500 PPS 

 RESET 

0 

0 

A 

DIODE 

GATE PW-B2 

PW-B3 

PW-B1 0 

+115V1 SYST GATE 

RESET 

RESET 

SYSTEM 

COWL 

WAVE I 

RESET 

RESET 

x2 

RESET 

80-1500 

BIT II SYSTEM 

GATE PLD-C 

FREQ 

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generator. Since the purpose of the system is to provide a capability 

to detect high powered radar signals, the receiver is relatively 

insensitive and uses only pulse width as the criterion for signal 

qualification. As the receiver scans the frequency band in approximate 

5-Mc steps, it will respond to any signal exceeding the detection 

threshold set at a nominal level of -60 dbm. The detected signals are 

checked to determine if their pulse widths exceed the pulse width 

criterion, nominally set at 20 i ,sec. If the pulse width criterion is 

satisfied, the receiver will stop for 4 seconds to permit continuous 

measurements of pulse amplitude, pulse width, pulse interval and 

RF frequency. The receiver then resumes its sweep in search of 

other signals. If the detected signal does not satisfy the PW criterion, 

its presence will simply be noted by a total pulse counter, PC-A, 

which gives an indication of the pulse density in the signal environment. 

A very strong pulsed signal with an amplitude greater than approximately 

-3Z dbm will be noted in the High Video Channel where measurements 

are made of amplitude and pulse interval. The receiver will, however, 

not lock on these strong signals unless they satisfy the pulse width 

requirement. The parameter measurements are stored until read out 

by the commutator. The commutator is also used to step the sweep 

voltage so that all parameter measurements are synchronized with 

the receiver frequency tuning. A system calibrator is provided 

to periodically check the operation of the entire system. It generates 

a test signal at two crystal controlled frequencies to give a calibration 

check on the sweep frequency. This signal is modulated such that 

it also provides a one-point calibration on the amplitude, pulse width, 

and pulse interval measuring circu,its. 

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