NSSDCA ID: 1965-089A-01
Mission Name: GEOS 1The optical beacon system, used for geometric geodesy, consisted of four xenon 670-watt (1580 candle-second/flash) flash tubes housed in reflectors. These tubes were programmed to flash sequentially in a series of five or seven flashes at times when they could be optically observed from earth. Observations were made by STADAN and SPEOPT MOTS 40-in. and 24-in. cameras, SAO (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory) Baker-Nunn and geodetic 36-in. cameras, USAF PC 1000 cameras, and U.S. C&GS (Coastal and Geodetic Survey) BC-4 cameras. Telescopic cameras at three or more stations simultaneously photographed the flashes against the star background. Satellite position and angle of elevation from each station could then be determined by using star charts as guides. If two of the three stations had known positions, the coordinates of the third could be calculated by triangulation. The instrument operated satisfactorily from November 18, 1965, to December 1, 1966, when command capability was lost.
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Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
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Mr. R. E. Williston | Principal Investigator | Applied Physics Laboratory |