Evening star., 1962-01-22
Worldwide Net Gets Final Checks
To Protect DRIFTING U. S. Astronout
BY WILLIAM HINES
Star Science Writer

CAPE CANAvERAL, Fla,
Jan. Recommendations ex-
perts began their final check
outs today on the most elabo-
rate special-purpose network
ever devised.
The sos million net stretches
diagonally across the earth's
midriff from Cape Canaveral
to Australia and back over the
South Pacific and the North
American continent. 1t has but
one reason for existence: The
safety Of the Mercury astro-
naut and the success of his
mission.
Sixteen finely trained ground
crews will be riding" with Col.
Glenn. metaphorically speak
ing. when he orbits the earth.
AS he hurtles through space
at nearly 800 miles a minute,
the crews will be monitoring
his condition and that Of his
tiny spacecraft.
Key Coast Areas
Key centers for Project Mer-
curry are clustered around the
East and West Coasts Of the
United States and in the mid
Atlantic. These are the stations
that will launch Col. Glenn and
bring him back to earth rou-
timely or in an emergency.
But for the key stations to
operate effectively, the Mercury
controllers must know the con-
dition Of the pilot and ship at
every moment. As an example
Of why this sort Of information
is essential, take the case of
Enos the astrochimp, the orbit
ing pfimate of last November.
1t was a station in Australia
that got an inkling of trouble
that 2conceivably could get
worse. A station in Hawaii ana
lyzed and pinpointed the trou-
BILE. This made it possible for
Mercury Operations Director
Chris Kraft at the control CEN
ter here to decide to bring Enos
back after two orbits. The &C
tual button-pushing was done
at Point Arguello, Calf, on Mr..
Kraft's order over the open cir
cult Of the Mercury net.
The following Is a station-by-
station rundown on the net
work and the functions Of its
various elements:
CAPE CANAVERAL (station
symbol CNV)-This is head
quarters for the mission. It re-
ceives data, both raw and COM
puter-refined, from all other
stations and issues the neces-
Sary instructions. A direct land
lines link with a giant elec-
tronic brain at Goddard Space
Flight Center in Greenbelt,
Md, gives CIV a quick-solution
capability to the many Prob
lens that may arise.
In the drivers seat at CIV
will be Mr.. Kraft, who will
take over once Flight Director
Walter Williams gives the gen.
eral go-ahead for the shot.
CIV will be in contact with
the capsule from liftoff until
it attains orbit about seven
minutes after launching. It |
will also monitor the capsules
passage at the start Of second
and third orbits, and during the
critical period while the space
craft is coming back to earth.
BERMUDA (BDAl-Next to
CIV this is probably the most
vital station. It will observe
the capsule in the crucial mo-
ments when it is going into
orbit. If anything should go
wrong at this stage, BDA would
have to perform the operations
to bring the capsule back in.
BDA will monitor and talk
with Col. Glenn from the time
he goes into orbit until about
1T plus TO-" or 10 minutes after
launch. 1t will pick him up
again at the start Of the sec
ond orbit, from T plus 1877
to T plus 1:43, and again as
the third orbit begins, from
$40 to 3:16 after launch.
ATLANTIC OCEAN SHIP
(ATS)-One of two specially
outfitted vessels, this one is on
station half way between Ber-
muda and the West Coast Of
Africa. 1t will feed vital data
on the state of the mission
at periods in all three orbits:
from T plus 10 to T plus 16 on
Orbit No. one, T plus 1:43 to
1:49 on the second, and II
plus 3:16 to 1921 on the third.
GRAND CANARY ISLAND
(CYD - This station, just off
the West Coast of Africa, will
pick up the astronaut after his
orbit is firmly established and
feed the network information
on altitude, speed and other
flight characteristics.
CYL monitors only two passes
of the capsule: T plus IS to 81
on the first orbit, and T plus
LAG to 1853 on the second.
KANO, NIGERIA (KNOD II
KNO is located on the outskirts
of one of thet biggest cities in
Africa. 1t will check on Col.
Glenn from T plus % to % on
the first orbit, and T plus 1855
to 200 on the second.
ZANZIBAR (ZZB) - On al
small island off the East Coast
of Africa, this station monitors
the first orbit from T plus 81
to 81, and the second orbit from
T plus 2:05 to 2:10.
INDIAN OCEAN SHIP (IOS)
Like ATS, this is a floating
station poSitioned to fill in a
gap where no ground facilities
exist. 1t is stationed about half
way between Durham, South At