Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-04
TRACKING
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TRACKING
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radio at the minitrack stations
of the Naval Research Labora-
tory several times on Sunday,
November 3. The period of
revolution around the earth is
about 102 minutes, as press
dispatches from Moscow had
ANNOUNCED.
Calculations at the Vanguard
computing center show that the
average height above the earth
is about $50 miles, or about 100
miles higher than the average
height of the earlier satellite
Launching. Preliminary indica-
Itions are that the minimum
height or Nperigee distance of
the orbit is not greatly differ
ent from that of the first satel-
lite, which means that the &C.
centricity of the orbit is con-
siderably greater; and the
greatest distance above the
earth. or apogee height, is sew
eral hundred miles greater than
for the earlier satellite.
Statistics on Sputniks
DR.. Joseph w. Siry, head of
the theory and analysis branch
of Operation Vanguard. said
the Sputnik ! perigee was about
140 miles and the apogee was
about 900 miles. compared with
Sputnik's us 1.056-mile apogee
and less than 140 miles perigee.
The scientists said more pre-
else tracking could not be made
until a larger number of re-
liable observations have been
obtained.
The Washington scientists
believe the Russians sent only
single object to DRIFTING about
/ the earth. Sputnik I was in
three parts, all still presumably
winging their earlier course.
The first satellite consists of
the moonlet itself, the nose
cone and the third stage of the.
rocket that took them up.
The first signals from the
second satellite we're picked up
by the Naval Research Labora-
tory at 3:11 am. Sunday.
Almost at once. reports of con-
facts started coming in from
the Nays minitrack stations
at Blossom Point. Md, and at
Fort Stewart, Ga.
Signals. Are Clear
The satellite was about 500
miles out over the Atlantic on
that reading. The next pass
came at 6:08 am. Sunday and
lasted until GIT am. in the
short wave radio receiver at
Blue Plains. The scientists
said the signals came in clearly
at both 20.O05 and 10000 meg
acycles.
DR.. Siry described the signal
as a beep-beep-beep on 20
megacycles and a sustained
beeeeeeeeppp on 40 megacycles.
The signals are believed to
be coded messages reporting
conditions inside the satellite
and the experiences of Curly
the Muttnik. The scientists
have not announced what sue
cess our code experts are hav-
ling in deciphering the signals.
The Washington area got
another visitation from the new
satellite at 1912 pm. yesterday,
at 6:23 am. today and again
at 8.08 am. today. Today's
/ first pass was 500 to 600 miles
east of Washington going from
southwest to northeast. The
8:08 am. pass was 500 to 600
] sc hare
When It's Visible
AS with Sputnik l, the satel-
lite probably will be visible
only at the hours of dawn or
dusk. At other times, it will
be either too dark or too bright
to see the object.
/ Dr.. Siry said the atmos-
pheric drag is heavier when
the satellite is near the earth,
but that Sputnik II could come
much closer than 100 miles
without seriously endangering
its life if it did not stay at
that low altitude for lengthy
periods of time. Scientists fig
ure that anything 10000 feet
or about 16 miles high is above
IS per cent of the earth's at
mosphere.
! The Naval Reserve Labora-
tory said that in its first sew
eral orbits around the earth
Sputnik II apparently did not
come close enough to be picked
up by this Nations minitrack