Publication Date:
2013-08-29
Description:
The Naval Space Surveillance Center (NAVSPASUR) is an operational naval command that has the mission of determining the location of all manmade objects in space and transmitting information on objects of interest to the fleet. NAVSPASUR operates a 217 MHz radar fence that has 9 transmitting and receiving stations deployed in a line across southern Continental United States (CONUS). This surveillance fence provides unalerted detection of satellites overflying CONUS. NAVSPASUR also maintains a space catalog of all orbiting space objects. NAVSPASUR plays an important role as operational alternate to the primary national Space Surveillance Center (SSC) and Space Defence Operations Center (SPADOC). In executing these responsibilities, NAVSPASUR needs precise and/or standardized time and frequency in a number of applications. These include maintenance of the radar fence references to specification, and coordination with other commands and agencies for data receipt and dissemination. Precise time and frequency must be maintained within each site to enable proper operation of the interferometry phasing technique used. Precise time-of-day clocking must exist between sites for proper intersite coordination. Phase may be considered a derivative of time and frequency. Its control within each transmitter or receiver site is of great importance to NAVSPASUR because of the operation of the sensor as an interferometer system, with source direction angles as the primary observable. Determination of the angular position of a satellite is directly dependent on the accuracy with which the differential phase between spaced subarrays can be measured at each receiver site. Various aspects of the NAVSPASUR are discussed with respect to time, frequency, and phase.
Keywords:
PHYSICS (GENERAL)
Type:
NASA. Goddard Space Flight Center, Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Precise Time and Time Interval (PTTI) Applications and Planning Meeting; p 127-13
Format:
text
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