[Milsurplus] Navy space radar stn.s

[Horace W. Hall]

>
Anyone know these.  There's one in central Ga that's RX-only.  Seems
there's another 150 around country.
>

Sounds like the NAVSPASUR 'fence radar' or a predecessor. Don't know what=

you mean by "150" though, antenna elements, arrays or unique geographic
sites. The current NAVSPASUR (yes, it still is in operation in about its
3rd or 4th major upgrade/rebuild) has 3 TX sites & 5 RX sites across the
US. One is still in GA. The antennas are linear arrays that build a narro=
w
East-West radar fan that catches sats as they cross the beams going north=

or south. All data is processed first at Navy Space Command (with is also=

the Alternate Space Surveillance Center for the Space Command's Space
Surveillance Network) & forwarded to Cheyenne Mountain (the prime SCC for=

SSN). =


I don't dig the poor budget bit, though. The fence is a MAJOR contributor=

to the SSN & always has been. Studies are in the works for yet another
rebuild for even better performance.

I worked as SSN orbital analyst beginning 1976, taught SSN operators at
Lowry AFB, left AF in 87 and have been contract suppport to SSN agencies
ever since. My daily office is in the AF Space Command HQ building.

--Wayne
  WB4OGM
  =