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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 1093.PDF
624 RIGHT International 16 April f9$. The importance of electronics in the life of a satellite is indicated in the four pictures on this page. The Ariel 2 spacecraft is seen (above left) being checked out at Wallops Island prior to its launch by Scout on March 27. The transmitted data from the satellite in orbit is received at the NASAjRRS station atWinkfield by the !36Mcjs telemetry aerial (above right) Missiles and Spaceflight INTERPRETING DATA FROM ARIEL 2 New equipment installed at the Radio Research Station, Datchet, Berkshire, is now being used to process the data being received from the Ariel 2 satellite. Built by Plessey-UK Ltd to RRS require- ments, the equipment is performing the initial processing of the telemetry tapes before the data are passed on for further processing, sorting and mathematical analysis of the experimental results. Magnetic tapes carrying the telemetered data are arriving at Datchet from the various NASA data-acquisition stations—one of which is located at Winkfield, only a few miles away—and from the Radio Research Station's own out-stations at Singapore and the Falkland Islands. The new data-processing centre at Datchet converts this telemetered information into a digital form before passing it on as the input to fast digital computers—initially at the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Aldermaston. Engineering of the RRS equipment was carried out by the West Leigh laboratories of the Control and Nucleonics Division of Plessey-UK Ltd at Havant, Hampshire. Plessey engineers visited NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to examine similar US equipment and incorporated certain US components such as tape transports in the final design. The data-processing system can be modified or extended to handle other forms of telemetry or to produce magnetic tapes for different types of computer. The same system will be used to handle the data from the UK-3 satellite. As well as operating and maintaining the equipment, the Datchet centre will keep full records of essential technical information relating to the many thousands of magnetic tapes to be handled annually. At present about half the effort of the Radio Research Station is devoted to space research. The work of the Winkfield station and related activities forms a part of the RRS Space Science Services, which are concerned with providing special services to university and other scientists engaged in space research in Britain and elsewhere. In addition to this type of work, the Radio Research Station carries out its own experiments by means of rockets and satellites. Experiments in this latter category are now being prepared for launching in two spacecraft—the UK-3 satellite, and the first satellite to be launched by ESRO. The experiment for UK-3 is intended to measure the worldwide distribution of radio noise originating in thunderstorms on the Earth. This information will be of value in understanding the radio noise which interferes with reception at operational radio stations on the ground and in satellites. The experiment for the ESRO satellite is intended to measure the flux of energetic charged particles impinging on the upper atmosphere, particularly in the auroral regions and at times of solar activity. Part of the control and recording equipment inside the Winkfield station (below left), with Radio Research Station staff Michael Pender, Mrs Helen O'Grady and Clyde Medhurst. Tapes from Winkfield and other stations are sent to the new data-processing centre at the main Radio Research Station at Datchet (below right), where the new Plessey-UK equipment is now in use. Control console is in the foreground, and tape editing console on the right
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