ENGINEERING EVALUATION OF THE METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITE GROUND RECEIVING SYSTEM,

Abstract

This report is an evaluation of the performance of the Meteorological Satellite Ground Receiving System (MSGRS) for Army use, based on a number of cloud-cover automatic picture transmissions (APT) received from the TIROS VIII satellite. From the picture received and analyzed, it was determined that the pictures, on Polaroid film, were of excellent clarity and definition to be used for cloudcover formation analysis. The sensitivity and gain of the MSGRS is more than sufficient to receive excellent pictures during the satellite's orbit from almost horizonto-horizon, where the maximum range approaches 2000 miles. Comments on the operation of the angular tracking and picture-processing portions of the system are included in the report. Also discussed are corrected problem areas. Based on a determined minimum usable signal level and signal-to-noise ratio for a minimum acceptable picture, an analysis was made to determine the possibility of replacing the helical rotatable antenna with a fixed-antenna system, consisting of a 1/4 lambda stub and an equiangular spiral antenna. From both theoretical data and pictures received using the fixed-antenna system, this antenna arrangement appears to be feasible. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1964
Accession Number
AD0605924

Entities

People

  • Arnold C. Peterson

Organizations

  • United States Army Communications-Electronics Command

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Antennas
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Automatic
  • Cloud Cover
  • Clouds
  • Engineering
  • Meteorological Satellites
  • Sensitivity
  • Spiral Antennas
  • Test And Evaluation

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Geodesy
  • Phased Array Antenna Design.
  • Software Engineering

Technology Areas

  • Space