DAMP Project The Downrange Anti - missile Measurement Program or DAMP was an applied research project to obtain scientific data , just prior to and during re - entry , on intermediate - and intercontinental - range ballistic missiles as they returned to earth . The program was funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency ( ARPA ) under the technical direction of the Army Ordnance Missile Command ( AOMC ) during the period 1 January 1959 through 30 September 1963 . Project organization . The downrange facility was a Liberty - class merchant vessel renovated and converted for its technical assignment . Its measurement equipment complex included C - band , L - band and UHF radars ; digital and analog recorders ; gyroscope stabilization ; timing generators ; mode switching ; telemetry acquisition apparatus ; radiometers and riometers ; boresight cine - TV and other photographic systems ; communications and Transit Satellite navigation system . As a complementary measurement facility to the DAMP ship , the Electromagnetic Research Laboratory at Moorestown , New Jersey , contained C - and L - band radar measurement equipment complete with digital and analog recording system in a range - support - tower combination for full - scale cross - section measurements under static conditions with orthogonal polarizations . Recorded analog data from this facility were provided for immediate use . Data from both measurement facilities underwent necessary processing at the Riverton , New Jersey , data reduction center , a part of the Data Analysis Laboratory . Foremost among DAMP Program objectives were to : USAS " American Mariner " . The DAMP ship , the USAS " American Mariner " , was essentially a floating measurements laboratory that employed various types of sensors , recording apparatus , and technical support equipment . It operated under conventional maritime regulations in the impact area of ballistic missile test firings , primarily in the Caribbean area and in the South Atlantic Ocean , near Ascension Island . During 1962 , however , it operated in the Pacific Ocean in order to perform tracking duties during Operation Dominic atomic testing . The shipboard crew , provided by Mathiasen Tankers Corp . , was complemented by approximately sixty technical personnel provided by RCA and Barnes Engineering Corporation , who operated and maintained the radar and support equipment . Each mission required a minimum of 36 hours of on - station preparation and pre - and post - flight calibration . Targets were those of opportunity fired on missile ranges as part of the overall ballistic missile test program , which at the time was in its infancy . The DAMP ship participated in numerous missile test operations on the Atlantic Missile Range , as well as on the Pacific Missile Range during 1962 in support of the Operation Dominic atomic tests with emphasis on radio frequency and radar electromagnetic effects . In addition , the DAMP ship served in support of the Ranger Program on the Atlantic Missile Range for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) . Activities included vehicle tracking during and subsequent to final burnout to supply designation data for the Deep Space Instrumentation Facility . During its operation in the Atlantic Missile Range , the DAMP ship stopped at various ports for logistical support and requirements . Such ports included Recife , Brazil ; Antigua , West Indies ; Cape Town , and Monrovia and Senegal in Africa . While on the Pacific Missile Range , the DAMP ship was based out of Honolulu , Hawaii , and operated in the Johnston Island area . Electromagnetic Research Laboratory . The Electromagnetic Research Laboratory ( ERL ) was located near the Missile and Surface Radar Division plant of RCA in Moorestown , New Jersey . The C - band , low - power , cross - section - measurement system in conjunction with two static range configurations was used for full - scale targets weighing up to 4 , 000 pounds rotated through 360 degrees . Since measurements must be made on targets as if they were located in free space , returns from other than the target were reduced to 10 m² , the general background level of one tower - terrain combination . The low - power radar was capable of transmitting any linear , circular , or elliptical polarization at C - band frequencies . It could receive the horizontal and vertical components of backscattered energy simultaneously . Cross - section data was recorded in analog form on Sanborn and Scientific Atlanta strip - chart recorder s and on Ampex magnetic tape . Digital cross sections were also recorded on a specially - designed CEC magnetic tape recorder . Other important functions of the ERL were the training of technical personnel , development and checkout of new equipment and techniques , and satellite tracking using a modified FPQ - 4 radar . L - band measurement capability , similar to the C - band equipment , was introduced in late 1963 . Data Analysis Laboratory . The Data Analysis Laboratory ( DAL ) was , in general , devoted to preparation of DAMP data for dissemination to the many users . These data are submitted to many forms that require numerous reduction processes . Thus , the DAL was divided into three basic operational areas , namely : ( 1 ) the Data Reduction Center in Riverton , New Jersey , ( 2 ) the Data Interpretation Group in Moorestown , New Jersey , and ( 3 ) the Plasma Analysis Group in Moorestown , New Jersey . Raw data from the DAMP ship ' s sensors was delivered to the data reduction center for reduction , smoothing , and conversion to forms appropriate to interpretation . Equipment used in this data processing cycle included a digital tape translator , an IBM 709 computer , an analog computer , various tape and card converters and card punches , analog and digital playback equipment , data plotters , chart and film readers , oscilloscope cameras and oscilloscopes , a photo darkroom , and miscellaneous support equipment . The processed data would be disseminated directly or would be submitted to the Data Interpretation Group for study , interpretation , correlation , and comparison with theory . The data interpretation group was concerned with annotating basic data with interpretative comments to aid the ultimate data user . Objectives were to investigate every avenue for enhanced data output and maximum data accuracy and usefulness . Theoretical studies and experiments were made to augment the data comparisons and evaluations ; such studies embraced the computational areas of numerical , mathematical , and statistical analysis , analog and digital simulation , and computer programming as well as the many physical sciences associated with missile flight and atmospheric re - entry . One of the most important facets of re - entry physics is the interaction of plasmas and ionized wakes with electromagnetic waves . Work was being conducted in both the theoretical and practical nature of plasma physics as related to radar and associated phenomena ; the following subcontract organization and consultants were active in support of phases of this research : To evaluate the effects of plasma and wake on EM propagation , flow field studies were performed to generate plasma density contours . These theoretical results were used for comparison with measured data for analysis . Laboratory experiments and simulation studies were conducted to investigate complex phenomena such as turbulence in the plasma flow field . DAMP ship characteristics . The DAMP ship , the USAS ( " United States Army Ship " ) American Mariner was the primary data collection facility of the DAMP Project . Pertinent ship ' s characteristics include : DAMP ship instrumentation . The DAMP ship was instrumented with various systems designed to locate and track incoming ballistic missiles in the predicted impact area , as well as instrumentation to record raw data . Radar . One of the two AN / FPQ - 4 radars aboard the DAMP ship permitted the tracking of beacon - carrying targets to an unambiguous range of . The L - band and UHF radars , which shared a common antenna , permitted observation of the target by illumination to supplement the C - band . The AN / FPS - 12 radar permitted surveillance of the general vicinity of the DAMP ship as well as vectoring of aircraft which may be assigned to the ship . The telemetry acquisition system was a passive acquisition aid operated on the interfereometer principle which gives angular position of the target relative to the ship . It was not a direct source of range information . Telemetry data was recorded on Magnetic tape at 7 . 5 , 15 , 30 and 60 ips from Nems Clark 1432 receiver . The acquisition director , which comprised the RADAP - C Computer together with associated input and output devices , served as an acquisition aid , as means for checkout and calibration of associated electronic equipment , and , in the TRANSIT mode , as an aid to the navigation of the DAMP ship . Navigation . The Transit system of navigation consisted of the Transit satellite , a worldwide network of tracking stations to observe and determine the orbital elements of the satellite , and suitable receivers and computers aboard the navigating vessel to receive the stable frequency radio signals broadcast by the satellite , to observe the Doppler frequency shift , and from this information , plus the approximate location of the vessel , compute to within one mile ( 1 . 6 km ) the exact location of the vessel . The quartz Reference Oscillator was the heart of the shipboard system , and operated at 1 MHz and 100 KC with a short term stability of 5 parts in 10 to the tenth averaged over a one second interval , and a long term stability of 5 parts in 10 to the tenth per day . Data recording . The Video Integrator accepted the radar video signal returns from a pulsed , range - gated radar system ( AN / FPQ - 4 ) and improved the signal - to - noise ratio of the radar video , thereby extending the acquisition range of the radar system . The video is continuously integrated and the output is in realtime . In order to utilize fully the data gathering capabilities of the DAMP ship , it was necessary that the data gathered be stored in a form which permitted easy retrieval at the data analysis facility . Therefore , all data obtained at the DAMP ship was stored only on certified and designated CEC digital recorders , Ampex recorders , a Sanborn recorder , an RCA video recorder and a Mincom recorder . Timing was provided by two Hermes Hycon Eastern timing generators , one primary and one back - up . Timing signal outputs were 24 - bit pulse absence code , 17 - bit pulse absence code , and 13 - bit pulse width code . Both generators were synchronized with Bureau of Standards , WWV , time standard . Raw test data recorded included time , sync and control , tracker 1 and 2 radar data , L - band and UHF radar data , gyro and server data , telemetry , voice , video and any other data designated by the test director . One of the two Mk 51 Mod 3 gun directors , suitably modified and fitted with M - 7 elbow telescopes ( 8 - power , 6 ” field ) was employed to furnish designation information to the AN / FPQ - 4 tracking radars in “ optical ” mode . These directors had an azimuth travel of plus / minus 370 degrees and elevated from - 20 degrees to + 90 degrees . Azimuth and elevation data output was furnished at 1 - and 36 - speed from two ( size 23 ) 400 - cycle synchros . Maximum position error was 0 . 5 mil . Communications equipment . Communications aboard the DAMP ship served several purposes : to communicate with administrative offices in New Jersey , to receive , immediately after launch , predicted impact data from the launch agency firing the ballistic or intercontinental missile , and , after completion of impact tracking , to report “ quicklook ” data back to the ERL in New Jersey so that it could be evaluated and a summary report be forwarded on to the project sponsor , ARPA . During this period of operation , communications via satellite did not yet exist . As a result , communications between the DAMP ship and New Jersey was through the use of single - sideband ( SSB ) radio , generally through the use of a 10 kW transmitter . The DAMP ship generally transmitted upper sideband ( USB ) voice and / or lower sideband ( LSB ) frequency - shift keying radioteletype in the area of 16 and 22 MHz when atmospheric conditions were favorable . When communications became difficult because of atmospheric conditions , the DAMP ship shifted to carrier wave ( CW ) transmission using standard Morse Code . In addition , because the ship could be out to sea for extended periods , such as a month or so , the DAMP ship carried an amateur radio room and equipment , which technical personnel could use to communicate with their families back home in the States via short wave radio . For local area communicating – for example when in the Ascension Island area in the Atlantic or the Johnston Island area in the Pacific ) the DAMP vessel had the capability of transmitting and receiving USB voice and LSB radioteletype to / from such island locations . The DAMP ship could also communicate with aircraft and nearby islands using various VHF or UHF radio configurations . Various antenna were employed to obtain maximum range from ship - to - shore . The UHF transceiver used a discone , while the VHF transceivers used ground plane antennas . The 1 kW HF transmitter used a remotely tuned whip antenna , while the 3 kW HF transmitter used a vertical cage antenna . , and the 10 kW transmitter employed a discone antenna . The vessel contained numerous state - of - the - art receivers , which were fed from an antenna distribution system from three whips . The DAMP ship also carried advanced cryptographic equipment which could be used to encode or decode messages of a confidential or secret nature . Details of such equipment is classified and not described here . As required by law , the ship ’ s Merchant Marine Master had a radio room and a radio operator who was responsible for ship ’ s business but was not associated in any way with the operation of the radio system used for technical purposes . Tracking Pedestals . Four modified TALOS AN / FPW - 2 Guidance Pedestals were slaved to either or both of the AN / FPQ - 4 tracking radars in order to provide optical , infra - red and other supplementary instrumentation for the observation of re - entry bodies . Mission Completion . On September 30 , 1963 the U . S . Army Advanced Research Projects Agency DAMP mission and contract expired , and the U . S . Air Force assumed operational control of the USAS American Mariner . On January 1 , 1964 , it became an integral , but temporary , part of the U . S . Air Force ' s Eastern Test Range in the Atlantic Ocean , and was placed under the control of the Missile Test Project ( MTP ) based out of Patrick Air Force Base , Florida . ( See Eastern Test Range for details . ) Eventually , the ship was removed from missile tracking service and sunk in the Chesapeake Bay while being used as a target by U . S . Navy pilots from the Patuxent River Naval Air Station . Further reading . Hahn , Herbert Paul , American Mariner a documentary biography of her role as : Liberty Ship , Training Ship , Missile Instrumentation Ship , Mystery Ship , Test Target . Published 1990 by American Merchant Marine Museum Foundation , Kings Point , New York . ISBN 1 - 879180 - 00 - 6 .