The Sidney herald., 1957-12-05
Civil Air Patrol
Tracking Satellites


like an egg - more between an
egg and a sphere. And then again
could be the earth was flat all
this time.
To tell the truth the worlds
top scientists don't really know
exactly what shape the earth is TO
the nth degree necessary in
guiding and plotting the course of
sile, for instance.
an intercontinental ballistic mis-
According to Norton Goodwin,
secretary-treasurer of the So
ciety of Photographic Scientists
and Engineers, the society is en-
gagged in organizing a photo
track" program on a nationwide
basis which ultimately will sup
ply such information.
Mr.. Goodwin emphasized that
today cartography the world over
in the Soviet Union as well as
in the United States, is based on
a series of educated guesses as
to the exact configuration of the
earth" 1t is true, he says, that
we know the earth actually is an
ellipsoid rather than a sphere
but so far there has been no
means for accurately determining
the exact shape of this elipsoid.
The phototrack technique which
will be used by the society in
connection with the International
Geophysical Year program - the
satellite program of the ICY to
be specific - is expected to pro-
vide the means for Enthusiastically
accurate measurement of the
earth's surface as well as infor-
nation as to the shape and effect
of its gravitational field.
DR.. Francis ]. Heyden, director
of the Georgetown University
Observatory, said that this infor-
nation would be worth its
weight in platinum, now!"
The society which has some
300 regular members, all highly
trained, hopes each member will
maintain a 'phototrack" station.
These stations must be situated
at a United States Coast and
Geodetic Survey Triangulation
Station or certified offset. There
are mor than 100000 USCGS
Triangulation Stations in the
United States.
Captain John Burns, Command
ing Officer of the Sidney unit
of Civil Air Patrol, said that &C
cording to word received from
National Headquarters of Civil Air
Patrol at Boiling Air Force Base,
that the society appealed to the
Civil Air Patrol for aid in flash
ing tracking data to its photo
rack" stations on a daily basis.
The Civil Air Patrol maintains
The nations largest, disciplined,
non-military radio communica-
ions network more than
10000 individual stations.
The program will work this
way. The Smithsonian Astrophys-
cal Observatory will telephone
he tracking information to the
Civil Air Patrol National Head
quarters in Washington each day.
This information will indicate
whether a satellite will pass over
he United States and whether or
lot conditions will permit its track
be photographed.
A typical forecast will read as
olloWs: .
THE following are satellite
photOtrack acquisition forecasts F,
for the period six through sew
en- December. The condition will
be black and white"
This message indicates that all :
atellite passes over the United .
'tates during December 6 and
will be at night (black) or dur /,
lg the day (white) and there :
yill be no visible passes that can :
photographed. 7
Where green Visible because :
f reflected Light or red wis D.,
Die because the object is self :
Iminous) passes are predicted :
ne data will be given with ref
renee to the path of the object
S it ~intersects the 10th parallel
the Latitude as follows:
STAT Green; 0826 West {
O23 Degrees 0536 EST S
O51 High" IA Dec.
This message would be a pre- a
lotion that on December IA, v
arth satellite TAR would d
lake a visible pass across the
nited States crossing the 40th a
arallel at 5'6 A. M. at a sub F
pint 1875 degrees West of Green
ich on a heading of O23 degrees n
nd at an altitude of 1910 miles. N
his information may be marked 81
1 a transparent overlay on a
,56 National Geographic Society L
ap of the United States and c
ere converted to local asmuth
I'd elevation information through il
use of the National Geograph- il
Society's Satellite Finder" Il
Each satellite will be given a
designation. For instance the b
'cket part of Sputnik l is known c
Stall. The satellite itself is It
lown as star. The second
satellite is known as d
'-B-1, etc. te
The forecasts will be broadcast il
yer the CAP National Head
,~arferS radio station in Wash y
gton VPO Victor Papa Zero) IL
/ 1875 Kilocycles at 1900, 1000,
m 210O hours. ~. & and q n. AZ