1st Aerospace Surveillance and Control Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 1st Aerospace Surveillance and Control Squadron, a unit of the USAF Air Defense Command, was activated on 6 February 1961, organized on 14 February 1961, and became operational on 1 July 1961 as the SPACETRACK component of NORAD SPADATS. It was the operational version of research and development Project Space Track. Effective 1 October 1961, the Squadron was assigned to the 9th Aerospace Defense Division, which had been activated on 15 July 1961.
The Squadron name was changed to 1st Aerospace Control Squadron on 1 July 1962, but it was still informally called just 1st Aero. The unit was inactivated on 21 April 1976.
Until April 1966, when operations were moved to the NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Complex, 1st Aero was located on the bottom two floors of Ent AFB building P4 Annex, a former hospital building, adjacent to the NORAD command center. The Space Defense Center, operated by 1st Aero, became fully operational at 0001Z, 6 February 1967.
The mission is now performed by the 614th Air & Space Operations Center, part of the Joint Space Operations Center
at Vandenberg AFB, California. An important additional mission is forecasting possible collisions in space.
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, 1 June 1961 - 15 September 1963
Outstanding Air Defense Unit of the Air Defense Command, Air Force Association, September 1963
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, 1 July 1973 - 30 June 1974
Here is the text posted with the submission:
The yellow streak, or batton sinister (heraldic mark of illegitimation, commonly called the bastards' barr) maintains balance between the traditional ADC Azure (Shade 84)[the official color of USAF uniforms] and NORAD purpure [NORAD was sometimes considered purple, the staff being a combination of Army red and Air Force and Navy blue]. Unfortunately, this line of demarcation is not quite long enough to keep things from getting confused. [This is a reference to the ongoing tension between NORAD and ADC, at times even involving CINCNORAD General Lawrence S. Kuter, and the ADC Commander, Lt Gen Robert M. Lee; both sometimes appearing distinctly unfriendly.]
Emblazoned, dexter chief and sinister base, are the symbols of the accuracy within which we attempt to maintain our orbital ephemerides [plus and minus infinity].
Beneath the shield, the heroic name of our noble organization will be forever proclaimed on a roll of six-ply carbon paper.
The crest, above the shield, is a crying towel, presented with the compliments of the 496L SPO [the SPO responsible for the development of Project Space Track]. It is supported by two wings, depicting the hopeful thought that, if things get too tough, you can always go fly.
By 1962,the situation was somewhat better. The Soviet satellite Sputnik 4 was slowly entering lower orbits because of the atmospheric drag. Using a new program, Satellite General Perturbations Differential Corrections (SGPDC), and observations from the Shemya radar, 2d Lt Vander Stucken, the orbital analyst for the decay, plotted the changing orbital period and was able to predict the exact revolution on which the satellite reentered. A 20-pound piece of it landed on a street in downtown Manitowoc, Wisconsin on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
Not all 1st Aero satellite tracking was done by looking at computer printouts. In January 1964, 1st Lt Ivan Thomas was the DOA for the launch of Echo 2 (1964-04A). He alerted his co-workers to go to the third-floor balcony of the 1st Aero building and said "Look up -- NOW" so they could watch the satellite pass overhead.
To make progress in automating ephemeris forecasts, Aeronutronic and TRW developed sophisticated new programs. 1st Aero orbital analysts evaluated the two programs:
Lt Vander Stucken (now 1st Lt) studied the Aeronutronic submission, Spiral Decay, designed by Geoff Hilton and programmed and validated by Patricia Crossin. Dr. Louis G. Walters was the Manager and Systems Engineer. Spiral Decay was funded to support the USAF space program, which had been experiencing trouble with satellites, such as incorrect orientation at propulsion events, some of which reentered carrying sensitive equipment. It was desired to know more accurately where the reentry would occur in case salvage was possible.
Captains Craig and Strub and Lt Clark worked with Aeronutronic on the project. Detailed astrodynamics reports of this and other Aeronutronic support of Project Space Track and 1st Aero are on file at the offices of Lockheed Martin (formerly Loral Corporation) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. An index of the reports is at the National Museum of the Air Force.
Lt Clark studied the TRW submission, Electronic Systems Precision Orbit Determination (ESPOD). ESPOD had been developed for Program 437 to enable computation of trajectories for satellite intercept.
As a demonstration of the effectiveness of Spiral Decay, the program was used to forecast the reentry of Soviet Cosmos 23
(1963-050A) on Good Friday 1964. Public media had been alerted to the impending decay and many people in Canada saw the fiery reentry. One racetrack even dimmed the lights to enhance the show.
Spiral Decay was considered a more sophisticated program than ESPOD and it used much less computer time to attain more accurate results. It was selected as the 1st Aero standard for analysis, significantly helping predict future decay trajectories. It was also adopted as the primary computer capability for weapon engagement and was very useful in more precisely locating sensors, such at the radar at Diyarbakır, Turkey.
On 1 March 1965, the rocket body of Cosmos 61 exploded between revolutions 1 and 2, giving 1st Aero another challenge to catalog the many fragments. Because the orbital period was 106 minutes, the fragments would not decay quickly. Special techniques were needed to overcome the extensive manual operations needed in the 1961 breakup of the Transit 4A carrier rocket. Two computer programs, SPACESWEEP and ALTEC, the latter written for the IBM 1620 computer by the Special Projects Division, aided automation of the task [but, when Cosmos 200 broke up on 23 January 1968, the breakup created severe problems to the Space Defense Center because of the amount of manual work needed].
Also in March 1965, the Special Projects Division was supporting evaluation of the upgraded Shemya radar and the associated computer, in a project nicknamed BLUE FOX. .BLUE FOX used Spiral Decay and ESPOD to determine the accuracy of the new Shemya system, tracking satellites Transit 2A and ANNA 1B, an SAFSP satellite, since declassified. The BLUE FOX results, showing radar range biases of 129 meters or less, proved that the Shemya FPS-80M was now the most accurate tracking radar in the system.
Another major progress was increasing automation of the correlation of observations with known satellites.
Some problems that developed required effort by 1st Aero personnel to overcome: for example, contractors' software sometimes used different values for important mathematical constants, making the orbital computation results different, depending on which program was used. 1st Lt Rodney M. Larson played an important role in these efforts.
1st Aero orbital elements, along with those computed by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, were included in the Satellite Situation Reports regularly published by Goddard. The element sets were passed in a standardized two-line format (which Lt Katz enjoyed referring to as "elephant sets.")
In 1963 and 1964, Dr. Wackernagel presented two short courses in celestial mechanics to officers newly assigned to 1st Aero. These assignments replaced some of the original squadron complement who were being reassigned or left the service
`
Project Space Track at Laurence G. Hanscom Field MA was the backup facility for 1st Aero operations. About 49 hours before 1st Aero became operational, the Navy's Transit 4A carrier rocket exploded. Orbital analysts at 1st Aero and at the Hanscom backup achieved a landmark in satellite tracking by identifying 296 of the fragments. Details of this event and the subsequent development of tools for analysis of breakups are at Project Space Track.
From 25 March to 6 April 1962, the 1st Aero orbital computations were transferred to Project Space Track while the Ent AFB computer was being modified.
Effective 5 June 1962, several 1st Aero officers were reassigned to L.G. Hanscom Field to activate the SPACETRACK Center Alternate Facility (SCAF) as a backup for the Colorado Springs center.
In mid-1962, the NORAD DCS/Intelligence (J-2) expressed his appreciation to 1st Aero for the information and expert technical assistance provided in support of NORAD analysis of the Soviet VOSTOK III and VOSTOK IV operations.
In the third quarter of calendar 1962, 1st Aero's operations center was renamed SPACETRACK Operations Center instead of the former SPADAT Operations Center .
In the third quarter of calendar 1963, the 1st Aero organization was changed to include a Central Computer & Display Facility (CC&DF) separate from the SPACETRACK Center. By this time, the SPACETRACK Center had six Divisions: Operations, Space Object Identification, Analysis, Research, Programming, and Intelligence.
In early November 1963, 1st Lt Phillips R. Granberry was the orbital analyst for a new Soviet launch, which had occurred on 1 November. In plotting the observations made by the BMEWS radar at Flylingdales Moor, England, and other sensors he noticed that the data showed an apparent change in the satellite's orbital period. Puzzled, he showed his data to Capt Frederick C. Eaton, who realized that the Soviets had boosted the satellite, changing the orbit. The two officers alerted the NORAD Space Intelligence Division, which passed the information to the intelligence community, where it was received with much interest. This confirmed a boast by Soviet Premier Khruschev that the Russians had a maneuverable satellite, something that had been treated with some disbelief.
It is now known that the satellite, called Polyot
, was in fact a prototype orbital carrier rocket for an antisatellite system. Only one other Polyot was launched (in April 1964); the system never became operational.
In mid-1965, there was concern that two Soviet satellites had attempted a rendezvous in space. Thanks to a seemingly overnight miracle, Ralph Schinnerer of Aeronutronic combined the existing XROADS and GROUNDTRACK programs into a new program that could compare the relative positions of two satellites. This enabled the Duty Orbital Analyst to prove that a rendezvous had not taken place. [In fact, Ralph had been developing the program while at Hanscom Field in support of Project Space Track but it had not previously been available for use. He called his program COMBO, which was appropriate, but later gave it the formal name, Computation Of Miss Between Orbits.]
COMBO, with some modifications, continues to be a major program in the Space Track arsenal at Vandenberg AFB, as it enables forecasts of possible collisions in space, a major concern for all satellite programs, manned and unmanned.
One major improvement in operations was the creation of a new career field, Space Object Identification Analyst (DSOIA)(AFSC 2025B). This was made possible by some improvement in radar imaging, still primitive, but enabling better assessment of which objects were satellite payloads, which carrier rockets, and which debris. The DSOIAs exchanged information with the NORAD Space Intelligence Division. Intelligence information about the mission of foreign satellites was also primitive. Public announcements by launching agencies and comparison with past launches were both useful. At one point in time, DSOIA duties were also performed by officers at remote sites, including Diyarbakır, Turkey. By the early 1970s, the work was consolidated at Colorado Springs, so that DSOIAs did not have to have remote duty tours. In later years, special telescopes were deployed to assist in identification.
In 1966, although he was not formally a DSOIA, Ralph Schinnerer achieved an interesting object identification: The Gemini IV astronauts saw what appeared to be a nearby space object. Ralph used the COMBO program, but it did not identify any nearby satellites. Shortly thereafter, he was furnished a short movie clip of the mystery object taken by the astronauts. Analysing its motion, he determined that it was probably something associated with the spacecraft, perhaps dangling from a tether.
1st Aero personnel supported the NORAD exhibit in the United States Pavilion at the New York World's Fair in 1964.
After the daily RASSN runs had been checked, one element correction run was made using the Satellite General Perturbations Differential Corrections (SGPDC) program. This automation was a definite improvement on the manual data plotting done at Project Space Track in 1960. In those days, the DOA would plot data points showing the difference in the time the satellite crossed the equator versus the current ephemeris prediction (on the ordinate) against the time of observation (on the abscissa). He would manually sketch a line as a best estimate of the fit to the data and choose a few points on either side of the line. He then filled out a form with these data points. The form was used to input the data at the IBM 709 computer (earlier the IBM 610), which ran a least squares fit and produced improved orbital elements.
None of this manual procedure was normally necessary by 1962 and the DSSO was able to handle the operation and produce the necessary Bulletin and Look Angles, which sent ephemerides to sensors and other interested parties (bulletin and look angle details at Project Space Track). Information from the latest Bulletins for unclassified satellites (now over 200) was posted on the Satellite Situation Board in the DSSO/DSST area.
About 600 to 800 observations remained unassociated daily. The unassociated observations were passed to the DOA for consideration. Many of these observations in 1962 were of the several hundred pieces from the explosion of the carrier rocket of 1961 Omicron in June 1961, not all yet in known orbits.
If the DOA thought the uncorrelated observations were from pieces associated with a known satellite, he could run the REDUCTION program with the elements of the known satellite and plot the resulting information to distinguish the remaining pieces. So manual plotting was still an important operation for the DOA.
Other special DOA activity occurred when a satellite neared decay. When the orbital period fell below 90 minutes, the DSSO notified the DOA and a special analyst was normally assigned to monitor the decay. In the unusual case of the decay of a Discoverer recovery vehicle that had not come down where programmed, the DOA had access to a special computer program, GRNTRK, which provided a sub-satellite trace for one revolution, to assist in specifying the track.
New friendly launches were handled by a DOA dedicated to the task but, in the case of new Soviet launches, an Analyst for Intelligence was assigned. There were two of these in 1962 (Lt Eric B. Nelson and Lt Gordon E. Markham).
Around 1970, two TSgts, experienced Space Surveillance Technicians, were selected to be Orbital Analysts. They performed very well but, not having college education, they did not get into the astrodynamic details and, not being officers, they could not be awarded AFSC 2025.
Analysis of interplanetary and lunar probe launches were handled by Special Project Analysts, who had several special astrodynamic programs to assist in computations. The Encke program (MUNENDC) was used when the vehicle was within 125 earth radii and the Interplanetary program (IPPD), adjusting for planetary perturbations, for vehicles beyond that distance. The Special Project Analysts also handled special requests for such things as very accurate orbital elements or decay information for a satellite (as might be required by research or educational groups). These analysts also monitored incoming technical papers, attended technical meetings to obtain information which was of use to the mission, and monitored improvements in decay forecasts. Special Project Analysts included Maj Cassidy, Capt Craig, and Lts Clark, Larson, and Rivero.
Lt Col William H. Gibson (primary duty Director, SPADATS)
Lt Col Dalton F. Newton (primary duty Chief, SPADATS Operations Division, also Director, SPACETRACK Center and later Director, SPADATS)
Maj James L. Rynning (Director, Communications-Electronics; Administrative Officer)
Capt William P. Bingham (DSSO)
Capt Frederick Carl Eaton (DOA; Chief, Orbital Analysis Branch)
Capt Orville L. Greynolds (DOA)
Capt James W. Head (DSSO, later Chief, SPADAT Projects Branch and Squadron Administrative Officer, then Executive Officer)
Capt Billy M. Jackson (Chief, Data Computations, later Assistant Director, Communications and Electronics)
Capt Thomas C. Marsters (DSSO, primary duty Chief, SPADATS Control Center; later Chief, SPADAT/SPACETRACK Operations Division.
Capt Donald D. McComb (DSSO, later Chief, SPADAT Training Branch)
1st Lt Eric B. Nelson (primary duty Analyst for Intelligence, the first officer in that duty assignment) As such, Lt Nelson was responsible for computing the orbits of all new Soviet launches and for liaison with the Space Intelligence Division, NORAD J-2, located on the top two floors of the same building.
SMSgt Harold E. Barton (NCOIC Communications-Electronics )
Capt Robert E. Rocque (DSSO, later Chief, Projects/Sensor Branch)
Capt Forrest F. Betzer (DOA)
1st Lt Wilbert F. Craig, III (DOA)
MSgt John J. Friel, Jr. (DSST; NCOIC SPADAT Operations Division), 1965 at SCAF.
TSgt John L. Hernandez (DSST)
TSgt John J. Sheehan (DSST; NCOIC SPADAT Training Branch)
SSgt Warren R. Buller (DSST)
SSgt Harvey A. Buzzell (DSST)
SSgt Donald A. Dragon (DSST)
SSgt Esteban Gonzales, Jr. (DD)
SSgt Carl V. Heberling (DSST)
SSgt Jack C. Jestes (DD)
SSgt Tony E. Munos (DD)
SSgt Donald S. Voight (DD)
A1C George W. Caviness (DD)
As with the initial cadre, these men were carefully chosen for their educational background and scientific knowledge.
Starting on 1 April 1961, USAF personnel in BMEWS operations were assigned to 1st Aero; their duties are outside the scope of this article, so they are not listed here.
After 31 December 1962 the only published rosters were for officers and after 30 June 1964 no rosters were included in the historical reports, so there is often no job description available. Names included here are for individuals where the orders or context indicate they were engaged in satellite tracking or administrative support (as opposed to BMEWS). Dates and ranks indicate the first time the person was named in the reports.
DSOIA = Duty Space Object Identification Analyst (AFSC 2025B).
WSDO = Weapons Systems Duty Officer
In July 1962, there was a major augmentation of 1st Aero personnel when many Sergeants and Airmen were assigned, working in various aspects of data processing, replacing contractor employees of the Wolf Research & Development Corporation:
DPMO = Data Processing Machine Operator
(DPM(PC)O) = presumably operator handling punched cards
(DPM(KP)O) = presumably key punch operator producing punched cards
many of these Airmen attended a Philco 2000 computer operator's training course in August 1962
representative was Carl J. Stotz. Troy Thornton was a Philco Customer Engineer. John Ferguson and Byron Crockett were two of the operators of the Philco 2000.
Baruch "Barry" Rosenberg, Wolf Research & Development Corporation, was at Ent AFB, 1961–1963, to help insure that the computer programs from the Project Space Track IBM 7090 worked properly on the Philco 2000. In 1963, he returned to Hanscom Field, 496L ESSPO, as a Wolf Corporation consultant doing the same work.
Some other Wolf Research & Development Corporation members working at Colorado Springs in support of 1st Aero were computer operators and data processing personnel, among whom were James Conway, Ronald Crockett, Michael Hansen, Robert Kopycinski, Nancy MacQuarrie, Alta McMillan, and Leo Ryan Peter B. Salisbury was a Programmer Analyst in 1965.
Genevieve L. Thomas was the Wolf Corporation secretary
.
Aeronutronic
: Dr. Louis G. Walters, Charles Geoffrey "Geoff" Hilton, Ralph Schinnerer, Patricia Crossin, Linda Bergstensson Ferguson.
System Development Corporation
: Jack Stanfield, Roy Schaub, Mary E. Ferguson, H. Adelman. The SDC contract for system program integration expired on 30 June 1970 and the function was assumed by 1st Aero personnel.
TRW
: Dr. David Morrison.
Professor Leland E. Cunningham from the Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, came to Ent AFB as a consultant to analyse the accuracy of the Philco 2000 computations. Professor Cunningham was an expert on the orbits of comets, on numerical analysis, and on the accuracy of computer computations.
9th Aerospace Defense Division and Air Defense Command:
Dr. Hans Beat Wackernagel moved to Colorado Springs from Project Space Track as 1st Aero Squadron Astronomer then, in mid-1962, transferred to the 9th Aerospace Defense Division. From 1979, he was a Physicist at HQ NORAD. Dr. Wackernagel, who retired in 1990, spent his working life analyzing SPACETRACK operations. As he said "When we find a problem, we suggest ways to solve it.". He was known in part for development of the geopotential Space Track Earth Model (SPEM) and his interest in converting all surveillance systems to the metric system, which had been used for orbital computations since 1957. With Charles Geoffrey Hilton of Aeronutronic, he co-authored "Mathematical Foundation for SCC Astrodynamic Theory," a treatise called TP8, which is till in use. [SCC was the Space Computational Center, a follow-on to 1st Aero.]
Captain Brad Wilde also supported 1st Aero.
The Squadron name was changed to 1st Aerospace Control Squadron on 1 July 1962, but it was still informally called just 1st Aero. The unit was inactivated on 21 April 1976.
Until April 1966, when operations were moved to the NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Complex, 1st Aero was located on the bottom two floors of Ent AFB building P4 Annex, a former hospital building, adjacent to the NORAD command center. The Space Defense Center, operated by 1st Aero, became fully operational at 0001Z, 6 February 1967.
Mission
1st Aero was responsible for tracking all artificial earth satellites, space probes, carrier rockets, and debris, US and foreign. The mission included detecting additional objects previously unknown and maintaining a complete catalogue.The mission is now performed by the 614th Air & Space Operations Center, part of the Joint Space Operations Center
Joint Space Operations Center
Joint Space Operations Center is a command and control weapon system focused on planning and executing US Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for Space mission...
at Vandenberg AFB, California. An important additional mission is forecasting possible collisions in space.
Awards
Supporting unit, 4608th Support Squadron, ADC, 1 February 1960 - 30 April 1962Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, 1 June 1961 - 15 September 1963
Outstanding Air Defense Unit of the Air Defense Command, Air Force Association, September 1963
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, 1 July 1973 - 30 June 1974
Official Emblem
The 1st Aero emblem was approved on 6 February 1962.Description
On an Air Force blue rectangular area a stylized computer above a semicircular geometrical pattern all surmounted by a stylized satellite, its four antennae saltirewise, all Air Force golden yellow; the satellite charged with an Air Force blue star; issuing from dexter chief a portion of the sun in splendor, and in sinister chief a formation of stars, Air Force golden yellow.Motto
On an Air Force golden yellow scroll, edged and inscribed Air Force blue, PRIMARII AETHERIS DEFENSORES, Space Defenders of the First Rank.Significance
The emblem is symbolic of the squadron and its mission. Against a background resembling in shape the fan-like radar of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System, deep blue in color to represent the sky, and supplemented with the sun and stars to indicate day and night operations, a stylized satellite of the Vanguard class symbolizes the squadron as the Vanguard of Aerospace Defense. The satellite surmounts two symbols representing a computer for analyses and computations and a detection system with the capability of the MIDAS system and world-wide sensors. The solitary star on the satellite indicates that this is the first organization of this type.Unofficial Emblem
In 1961, 1st Aero had a competition to select the squadron emblem, with ideas to be posted on the bulletin board. One anonymous suggestion, surreptitiously posted in the middle of the night, proved so popular that Colonel Miller, the Squadron Commander, had copies made for all squadron members and other people who supported the squadron.Here is the text posted with the submission:
Blazoning (Symbology)
Central in our noble emblem is a crystal ball, rampant on a field of confusion, depicted floating in a sea of coffee.The yellow streak, or batton sinister (heraldic mark of illegitimation, commonly called the bastards' barr) maintains balance between the traditional ADC Azure (Shade 84)[the official color of USAF uniforms] and NORAD purpure [NORAD was sometimes considered purple, the staff being a combination of Army red and Air Force and Navy blue]. Unfortunately, this line of demarcation is not quite long enough to keep things from getting confused. [This is a reference to the ongoing tension between NORAD and ADC, at times even involving CINCNORAD General Lawrence S. Kuter, and the ADC Commander, Lt Gen Robert M. Lee; both sometimes appearing distinctly unfriendly.]
Emblazoned, dexter chief and sinister base, are the symbols of the accuracy within which we attempt to maintain our orbital ephemerides [plus and minus infinity].
Beneath the shield, the heroic name of our noble organization will be forever proclaimed on a roll of six-ply carbon paper.
The crest, above the shield, is a crying towel, presented with the compliments of the 496L SPO [the SPO responsible for the development of Project Space Track]. It is supported by two wings, depicting the hopeful thought that, if things get too tough, you can always go fly.
Sensors
1st Aero had essentially the same set of sensors used by Project Space Track, described in detail in that article, with the addition of two additional Baker-Nunn cameras, one of which was used by the Royal Canadian Air Force at Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada. In March, 1961, the Laredo sensor was transferred from the Air Research and Development Command to the Air Defense Command. It was designated Detachment 1, 1st Aerospace Surveillance and Control Squadron, on 1 July 1961, Major Lloyd C. Hill, Commander. In january 1968, the System 440L Over-the-Horizon radar became initially operational. In 1968, SPACETRACK was also supported by the Royal Radar Establishment, Great Malvern, Worcestershire, England. By mid-1969, three USAF Baker-Nunn cameras were operated in support of SPACETRACK under the 18th Surveillance Squadron at Edwards AFB CA (Jupiter, Florida; Johnston Island, central Pacific; and Mt. John, New Zealand) despite serious questions in 1968 about their on-going utility in view of increasing radar tracking accuracies. An FPS-85 phased array radar became operational at Eglin AFB, Florida, in May 1970.Orbital Computations
1st Aero used the methods of orbital prediction developed by Dr. Eberhart W. Wahl at Project Space Track in 1957, which computed ephemerides based on standard Keplerian orbits. This excellent technique became less and less useful as a satellite got lower into the atmosphere, encountering drag, which made it difficult to forecast the ephemeris of the satellite accurately. Because of this, in 1959, Lt Cotter at Space Track had the questionable pleasure of being the first person to lose track of an artificial earth satellite, Explorer IV, for which he was the Department of Defense orbital analyst. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory lost it a day or two later and only Mr. Arthur S. Leonard, of the Sacramento Moonwatch Team, was able to continue tracking somewhat longer, using his own special observational methods.By 1962,the situation was somewhat better. The Soviet satellite Sputnik 4 was slowly entering lower orbits because of the atmospheric drag. Using a new program, Satellite General Perturbations Differential Corrections (SGPDC), and observations from the Shemya radar, 2d Lt Vander Stucken, the orbital analyst for the decay, plotted the changing orbital period and was able to predict the exact revolution on which the satellite reentered. A 20-pound piece of it landed on a street in downtown Manitowoc, Wisconsin on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
Not all 1st Aero satellite tracking was done by looking at computer printouts. In January 1964, 1st Lt Ivan Thomas was the DOA for the launch of Echo 2 (1964-04A). He alerted his co-workers to go to the third-floor balcony of the 1st Aero building and said "Look up -- NOW" so they could watch the satellite pass overhead.
To make progress in automating ephemeris forecasts, Aeronutronic and TRW developed sophisticated new programs. 1st Aero orbital analysts evaluated the two programs:
Lt Vander Stucken (now 1st Lt) studied the Aeronutronic submission, Spiral Decay, designed by Geoff Hilton and programmed and validated by Patricia Crossin. Dr. Louis G. Walters was the Manager and Systems Engineer. Spiral Decay was funded to support the USAF space program, which had been experiencing trouble with satellites, such as incorrect orientation at propulsion events, some of which reentered carrying sensitive equipment. It was desired to know more accurately where the reentry would occur in case salvage was possible.
Captains Craig and Strub and Lt Clark worked with Aeronutronic on the project. Detailed astrodynamics reports of this and other Aeronutronic support of Project Space Track and 1st Aero are on file at the offices of Lockheed Martin (formerly Loral Corporation) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. An index of the reports is at the National Museum of the Air Force.
Lt Clark studied the TRW submission, Electronic Systems Precision Orbit Determination (ESPOD). ESPOD had been developed for Program 437 to enable computation of trajectories for satellite intercept.
As a demonstration of the effectiveness of Spiral Decay, the program was used to forecast the reentry of Soviet Cosmos 23
Kosmos 23
Kosmos 23 , also known as Omega #2, was a satellite which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1963. It was an Omega satellite, derived from the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik series...
(1963-050A) on Good Friday 1964. Public media had been alerted to the impending decay and many people in Canada saw the fiery reentry. One racetrack even dimmed the lights to enhance the show.
Spiral Decay was considered a more sophisticated program than ESPOD and it used much less computer time to attain more accurate results. It was selected as the 1st Aero standard for analysis, significantly helping predict future decay trajectories. It was also adopted as the primary computer capability for weapon engagement and was very useful in more precisely locating sensors, such at the radar at Diyarbakır, Turkey.
On 1 March 1965, the rocket body of Cosmos 61 exploded between revolutions 1 and 2, giving 1st Aero another challenge to catalog the many fragments. Because the orbital period was 106 minutes, the fragments would not decay quickly. Special techniques were needed to overcome the extensive manual operations needed in the 1961 breakup of the Transit 4A carrier rocket. Two computer programs, SPACESWEEP and ALTEC, the latter written for the IBM 1620 computer by the Special Projects Division, aided automation of the task [but, when Cosmos 200 broke up on 23 January 1968, the breakup created severe problems to the Space Defense Center because of the amount of manual work needed].
Also in March 1965, the Special Projects Division was supporting evaluation of the upgraded Shemya radar and the associated computer, in a project nicknamed BLUE FOX. .BLUE FOX used Spiral Decay and ESPOD to determine the accuracy of the new Shemya system, tracking satellites Transit 2A and ANNA 1B, an SAFSP satellite, since declassified. The BLUE FOX results, showing radar range biases of 129 meters or less, proved that the Shemya FPS-80M was now the most accurate tracking radar in the system.
Another major progress was increasing automation of the correlation of observations with known satellites.
Some problems that developed required effort by 1st Aero personnel to overcome: for example, contractors' software sometimes used different values for important mathematical constants, making the orbital computation results different, depending on which program was used. 1st Lt Rodney M. Larson played an important role in these efforts.
1st Aero orbital elements, along with those computed by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, were included in the Satellite Situation Reports regularly published by Goddard. The element sets were passed in a standardized two-line format (which Lt Katz enjoyed referring to as "elephant sets.")
In 1963 and 1964, Dr. Wackernagel presented two short courses in celestial mechanics to officers newly assigned to 1st Aero. These assignments replaced some of the original squadron complement who were being reassigned or left the service
`
Operations
In April 1961 a Philco 2000 computer had been installed in Building P4 Annex at Ent AFB for dedicated 1st Aero use. The Phlco 2000 was considered the fastest computer in the world at the time of installation. 1st Aero still used IBM punch cards for data, as did Project Space Track. The Philco 2000 was infamous for devouring the cards. The computer was programmed using FORTRAN for batch processing and the TAC assembly language for other work. However, Orbital Analysts still had Friden Square Root Calculators on their desks, a necessary tool.Project Space Track at Laurence G. Hanscom Field MA was the backup facility for 1st Aero operations. About 49 hours before 1st Aero became operational, the Navy's Transit 4A carrier rocket exploded. Orbital analysts at 1st Aero and at the Hanscom backup achieved a landmark in satellite tracking by identifying 296 of the fragments. Details of this event and the subsequent development of tools for analysis of breakups are at Project Space Track.
From 25 March to 6 April 1962, the 1st Aero orbital computations were transferred to Project Space Track while the Ent AFB computer was being modified.
Effective 5 June 1962, several 1st Aero officers were reassigned to L.G. Hanscom Field to activate the SPACETRACK Center Alternate Facility (SCAF) as a backup for the Colorado Springs center.
In mid-1962, the NORAD DCS/Intelligence (J-2) expressed his appreciation to 1st Aero for the information and expert technical assistance provided in support of NORAD analysis of the Soviet VOSTOK III and VOSTOK IV operations.
In the third quarter of calendar 1962, 1st Aero's operations center was renamed SPACETRACK Operations Center instead of the former SPADAT Operations Center .
In the third quarter of calendar 1963, the 1st Aero organization was changed to include a Central Computer & Display Facility (CC&DF) separate from the SPACETRACK Center. By this time, the SPACETRACK Center had six Divisions: Operations, Space Object Identification, Analysis, Research, Programming, and Intelligence.
In early November 1963, 1st Lt Phillips R. Granberry was the orbital analyst for a new Soviet launch, which had occurred on 1 November. In plotting the observations made by the BMEWS radar at Flylingdales Moor, England, and other sensors he noticed that the data showed an apparent change in the satellite's orbital period. Puzzled, he showed his data to Capt Frederick C. Eaton, who realized that the Soviets had boosted the satellite, changing the orbit. The two officers alerted the NORAD Space Intelligence Division, which passed the information to the intelligence community, where it was received with much interest. This confirmed a boast by Soviet Premier Khruschev that the Russians had a maneuverable satellite, something that had been treated with some disbelief.
It is now known that the satellite, called Polyot
Polyot (rocket)
The Polyot was an interim orbital carrier rocket, built to test ASAT spacecraft. It was required as a stopgap after the cancellation of the UR-200 programme, but before the Tsyklon could enter service. Only two were ever launched, the first on 1 November 1963, and the last on 12 April 1964...
, was in fact a prototype orbital carrier rocket for an antisatellite system. Only one other Polyot was launched (in April 1964); the system never became operational.
In mid-1965, there was concern that two Soviet satellites had attempted a rendezvous in space. Thanks to a seemingly overnight miracle, Ralph Schinnerer of Aeronutronic combined the existing XROADS and GROUNDTRACK programs into a new program that could compare the relative positions of two satellites. This enabled the Duty Orbital Analyst to prove that a rendezvous had not taken place. [In fact, Ralph had been developing the program while at Hanscom Field in support of Project Space Track but it had not previously been available for use. He called his program COMBO, which was appropriate, but later gave it the formal name, Computation Of Miss Between Orbits.]
COMBO, with some modifications, continues to be a major program in the Space Track arsenal at Vandenberg AFB, as it enables forecasts of possible collisions in space, a major concern for all satellite programs, manned and unmanned.
One major improvement in operations was the creation of a new career field, Space Object Identification Analyst (DSOIA)(AFSC 2025B). This was made possible by some improvement in radar imaging, still primitive, but enabling better assessment of which objects were satellite payloads, which carrier rockets, and which debris. The DSOIAs exchanged information with the NORAD Space Intelligence Division. Intelligence information about the mission of foreign satellites was also primitive. Public announcements by launching agencies and comparison with past launches were both useful. At one point in time, DSOIA duties were also performed by officers at remote sites, including Diyarbakır, Turkey. By the early 1970s, the work was consolidated at Colorado Springs, so that DSOIAs did not have to have remote duty tours. In later years, special telescopes were deployed to assist in identification.
In 1966, although he was not formally a DSOIA, Ralph Schinnerer achieved an interesting object identification: The Gemini IV astronauts saw what appeared to be a nearby space object. Ralph used the COMBO program, but it did not identify any nearby satellites. Shortly thereafter, he was furnished a short movie clip of the mystery object taken by the astronauts. Analysing its motion, he determined that it was probably something associated with the spacecraft, perhaps dangling from a tether.
1st Aero personnel supported the NORAD exhibit in the United States Pavilion at the New York World's Fair in 1964.
Operational Details
1st Aero operations were based on the techniques developed at Project Space Track. By 1962, initial observations were processed by the Report Association Program (RASSN) which ran automatically twice a day plus twice for BMEWS data. The program associated observations with known orbits. The output of the program, plus data from the Checker Program (SRCHEK), was sent to the Duty Space Surveillance Officer and Technician (DSSO/DSST) for review with some assistance from the Duty Orbital Analyst (DOA) as needed.After the daily RASSN runs had been checked, one element correction run was made using the Satellite General Perturbations Differential Corrections (SGPDC) program. This automation was a definite improvement on the manual data plotting done at Project Space Track in 1960. In those days, the DOA would plot data points showing the difference in the time the satellite crossed the equator versus the current ephemeris prediction (on the ordinate) against the time of observation (on the abscissa). He would manually sketch a line as a best estimate of the fit to the data and choose a few points on either side of the line. He then filled out a form with these data points. The form was used to input the data at the IBM 709 computer (earlier the IBM 610), which ran a least squares fit and produced improved orbital elements.
None of this manual procedure was normally necessary by 1962 and the DSSO was able to handle the operation and produce the necessary Bulletin and Look Angles, which sent ephemerides to sensors and other interested parties (bulletin and look angle details at Project Space Track). Information from the latest Bulletins for unclassified satellites (now over 200) was posted on the Satellite Situation Board in the DSSO/DSST area.
About 600 to 800 observations remained unassociated daily. The unassociated observations were passed to the DOA for consideration. Many of these observations in 1962 were of the several hundred pieces from the explosion of the carrier rocket of 1961 Omicron in June 1961, not all yet in known orbits.
If the DOA thought the uncorrelated observations were from pieces associated with a known satellite, he could run the REDUCTION program with the elements of the known satellite and plot the resulting information to distinguish the remaining pieces. So manual plotting was still an important operation for the DOA.
Other special DOA activity occurred when a satellite neared decay. When the orbital period fell below 90 minutes, the DSSO notified the DOA and a special analyst was normally assigned to monitor the decay. In the unusual case of the decay of a Discoverer recovery vehicle that had not come down where programmed, the DOA had access to a special computer program, GRNTRK, which provided a sub-satellite trace for one revolution, to assist in specifying the track.
New friendly launches were handled by a DOA dedicated to the task but, in the case of new Soviet launches, an Analyst for Intelligence was assigned. There were two of these in 1962 (Lt Eric B. Nelson and Lt Gordon E. Markham).
Around 1970, two TSgts, experienced Space Surveillance Technicians, were selected to be Orbital Analysts. They performed very well but, not having college education, they did not get into the astrodynamic details and, not being officers, they could not be awarded AFSC 2025.
Analysis of interplanetary and lunar probe launches were handled by Special Project Analysts, who had several special astrodynamic programs to assist in computations. The Encke program (MUNENDC) was used when the vehicle was within 125 earth radii and the Interplanetary program (IPPD), adjusting for planetary perturbations, for vehicles beyond that distance. The Special Project Analysts also handled special requests for such things as very accurate orbital elements or decay information for a satellite (as might be required by research or educational groups). These analysts also monitored incoming technical papers, attended technical meetings to obtain information which was of use to the mission, and monitored improvements in decay forecasts. Special Project Analysts included Maj Cassidy, Capt Craig, and Lts Clark, Larson, and Rivero.
Senior Personnel
| Commander | Deputy Commander | Operations Officer | |
| 1961 | Lt Col John E. Ciccolella (Acting Commander) |
||
| 27 Mar 1961-1964 | Col Robert Miller (who, a few months earlier as a Lt Col, had been one of the officers responsible for selection of the initial Squadron cadre late 1964: Lt Col Delbert R. Smyth? |
Lt Col Dalton F. Newton | Lt Col Donald R. Bissell |
| 1965 | Lt Col John F. Stankowski, Jr. Lt Col Delbert R. Smyth Col Bill R. Adams |
Lt Col Delbert R. Smyth | Lt Col Delbert R. Smyth |
| Sep 1965– Apr 1966 | Col Roscoe C. Crawford, Jr. | Lt Col Delbert R. Smyth | Maj Thomas C. Marsters Maj Thomas W.C. Birge |
| 1966–1967 | Col Bill R. Adams Col Delbert R. Smyth |
Al Morse | |
| 1968–1970 | Col William C. Watts | Lt Col Ralph W. White Doug Smith |
Doug Smith |
| 1970–1972 | Col Stanton G. Daries | Burley Vandergriff Bernard J. Scutkowski |
Lt Col Donald A. Vogt |
| 1972–1973 | Col Bernard J. Scutkowski | Carl Hagen Bob Kronebusch |
Lt Col Leslie H. Minear, Jr |
| 1973–1975 | Col Thomas C. Brandt | Lloyd Thomas | Richard O. Collins |
| 1975–1976 | Col Lloyd Thomas |
Initial Squadron Cadre
DSSO = Duty Space Surveillance Officer (AFSC 2035A), DSST = Duty Space Surveillance Technician (AFSC 27350B), DOA = Duty Orbital Analyst (AFSC 2025A), DD = Duty Dispatcher, responsible for data handling (AFSC 29150)Lt Col William H. Gibson (primary duty Director, SPADATS)
Lt Col Dalton F. Newton (primary duty Chief, SPADATS Operations Division, also Director, SPACETRACK Center and later Director, SPADATS)
Maj James L. Rynning (Director, Communications-Electronics; Administrative Officer)
Capt William P. Bingham (DSSO)
Capt Frederick Carl Eaton (DOA; Chief, Orbital Analysis Branch)
Capt Orville L. Greynolds (DOA)
Capt James W. Head (DSSO, later Chief, SPADAT Projects Branch and Squadron Administrative Officer, then Executive Officer)
Capt Billy M. Jackson (Chief, Data Computations, later Assistant Director, Communications and Electronics)
Capt Thomas C. Marsters (DSSO, primary duty Chief, SPADATS Control Center; later Chief, SPADAT/SPACETRACK Operations Division.
Capt Donald D. McComb (DSSO, later Chief, SPADAT Training Branch)
1st Lt Eric B. Nelson (primary duty Analyst for Intelligence, the first officer in that duty assignment) As such, Lt Nelson was responsible for computing the orbits of all new Soviet launches and for liaison with the Space Intelligence Division, NORAD J-2, located on the top two floors of the same building.
SMSgt Harold E. Barton (NCOIC Communications-Electronics )
Additional Personnel Assigned, March 1961
Capt William M. Porter, Jr. (DSSO and Unit Historical Officer, later Assistant Chief, SPACETRACK Operations Division)Capt Robert E. Rocque (DSSO, later Chief, Projects/Sensor Branch)
Capt Forrest F. Betzer (DOA)
1st Lt Wilbert F. Craig, III (DOA)
MSgt John J. Friel, Jr. (DSST; NCOIC SPADAT Operations Division), 1965 at SCAF.
TSgt John L. Hernandez (DSST)
TSgt John J. Sheehan (DSST; NCOIC SPADAT Training Branch)
SSgt Warren R. Buller (DSST)
SSgt Harvey A. Buzzell (DSST)
SSgt Donald A. Dragon (DSST)
SSgt Esteban Gonzales, Jr. (DD)
SSgt Carl V. Heberling (DSST)
SSgt Jack C. Jestes (DD)
SSgt Tony E. Munos (DD)
SSgt Donald S. Voight (DD)
A1C George W. Caviness (DD)
As with the initial cadre, these men were carefully chosen for their educational background and scientific knowledge.
Starting on 1 April 1961, USAF personnel in BMEWS operations were assigned to 1st Aero; their duties are outside the scope of this article, so they are not listed here.
Other Personnel (1961-1966)
No complete roster of 1st Aero personnel exists—in mid-1961, there were 26 officers, 23 airmen, and 4 civilians. By 30 June 1970, there were 110 officers, 200 airmen, and 47 civilians.After 31 December 1962 the only published rosters were for officers and after 30 June 1964 no rosters were included in the historical reports, so there is often no job description available. Names included here are for individuals where the orders or context indicate they were engaged in satellite tracking or administrative support (as opposed to BMEWS). Dates and ranks indicate the first time the person was named in the reports.
DSOIA = Duty Space Object Identification Analyst (AFSC 2025B).
WSDO = Weapons Systems Duty Officer
In July 1962, there was a major augmentation of 1st Aero personnel when many Sergeants and Airmen were assigned, working in various aspects of data processing, replacing contractor employees of the Wolf Research & Development Corporation:
DPMO = Data Processing Machine Operator
(DPM(PC)O) = presumably operator handling punched cards
(DPM(KP)O) = presumably key punch operator producing punched cards
many of these Airmen attended a Philco 2000 computer operator's training course in August 1962
| Lt Col Donald R. Bissell (Chief, SPACETRACK Analysis Division, later Director, SPACETRACK Center) | Lt Col John F. Stankowski, Jr. (1965 Commander, SCAF) | Maj George S. Allen | Maj Neil D. Argo (likely WSDO) |
| Maj George S. Bergstrom (DSSO, later DSSO at SCAF then OIC, SCAF) | Maj Tommy Cobb (DOA, later Chief, Weapons Support Group) | Maj Walter L.G. Collins (Director, Communications and Electronics) | Maj Louis W. Cunningham (1965 Administrative Services Officer) |
| Maj Earl B. Doeren (DSSO(CC&DF)) | Maj Thomas G. Duckworth (1965 Director, Weapons Systems Division) | Maj Philip R. Jackson (1965 likely WSDO) | Maj Jack R. Jones |
| Maj Archibald G. Kearns (DOA, later Chief, Intelligence Division, then Assistant Director, SPACETRACK Center) | Maj Albert L. Morse (1965 Acting Director, SPACETRACK, Administrative Services Officer, 1967 Assistant Chief, Systems Operations) | Maj Glenn Perryman, Jr. (Assistant Director, CC&DF, later Director) | Maj Harry A. Stafford (1965 Director, Communications & Electronics) |
| Maj Richard A. Walsh III (1965) | Maj Victor R. Wakefield , later Chief, SPADAT Operations Center. |
Capt Melvin L. Allen (DSSO) | Capt Albert J. Bainger (computer maintenance officer, later OIC Data Computations Branch) |
| Capt George F. Bergstrom (DSSO) | Capt Thomas W. C. Birge (DSOIA, 1965 Assistant Administrative Officer; 1967 Director, Analysis and Technical Support) | Capt Ralph D. Burbey (DSOIA, later Chief, SOI Division) | Capt Garry L. Burke (computer maintenance officer) |
| Capt William E. Cassady (DSSO, later Chief, Data Analysis) | Capt Kenneth L. Claassen (DSSO (CC&DF)) | Capt John C. Crocker (DSSO)` | Capt Charlie Coon (DSSO) |
| Capt Robert L. Davis (DSSO at SCAF) | Capt Warren C. Frank (DSOIA) | Capt Franklin J. Gingrich, Jr. (DSSO) | Capt Ken Kaiser |
| Capt Herbert A. Keenan (DSSO) | Capt Henry K. Kroft | Capt Albert W. Lessard (DSSO (SCAF)) | Capt William W. McLeod (DSSO) |
| Capt Leslie H. Minear, Jr (DOA, then Chief Orbital Analyst Branch; second tour, 1971–1974, Sq Operations Officer). | Capt George Nosal, Jr. (communications officer) | Capt Robert S. Parker | Capt Leon B. Patton |
| Capt Herbert L. Roos (DSSO at SCAF) | Capt John K. Smith (DSSO, later Administrative Services Officer) | Capt James E. Strub (DOA, later Chief, Research Division) | Capt George P. Textor (DSSO) |
| Capt Richard A. Walsh III (DSOIA, later Assistant Chief, Weapons Support Systems Group) | Capt Edwin S. Warrell, Jr. (DSSO, later Chief, Data Control/Sensor Branch) | 1st Lt John S. Adams, Jr. (DOA at SCAF, 1965 WSDO and DSSO at SCAF) | 1st Lt Michael Bush, Jr. (DSSO) |
| 1st Lt Dennis L. Butler (DOA; served four separate tours in 1st Aero, 1 July 1961 to Squadron deactivation on 21 April 1976) | 1st Lt James T. Conlan (DSSO) | 1st Lt Lawrence R. Cotter (primary duty SPADATS Staff Officer) |
1st Lt Carl E. Gaiser (DSSO) |
| 1st Lt Wolfhart B. Goethert (computer programmer) | 1st Lt David D. Igelman (DOA, later Chief, Programming Systems Division) | 1st Lt Robert Cooke | 1st Lt John A. Knebel (DSOIA) |
| 1st Lt Rodney M. Larson (DOA) | 1st Lt James F. Luck, Jr. (DSOIA) | 1st Lt Bill L. Murphy (DOA) | 1st Lt Paul C. O'Brien (DSOIA) |
| 1st Lt Edwin J. Thompson (DOA) | 1st Lt Gary C. Walla (DSOIA) | 1st Lt Robert A. Walsh (DSOIA) | 2d Lt Stephen M. Ballanco (mathematician, later assistant computer officer) |
| 2d Lt Andrew W. Ballas, Jr. | 2d Lt Laddie F. Bowman (DSOIA, then DOA) | 2d Lt William C. Brown, Jr. (DOA) | 2d Lt Bruce A. Burns (later SDC Systems Operations) |
| 2d Lt Mark A. Cabrera (DOA) | 2d Lt Durand E. Cleveland, Jr. | 2d Lt John W. Cobb, Jr. | 2d Lt Albert G. Cox (DOA, then Orbital Analyst for Programming) |
| 2d Lt Charles W. Davis (DOA, later at SCAF) | 2d Lt Joel R. DuBois (DOA) | 2d Lt Henry B. Echert, Jr. | 2d Lt Phillips R. Granberry (DOA) |
| 2d Lt Donald B. Hicks (1965 likely computer operations) | 2d Lt Jerry D. Hines (DOA) | 2d Lt Kenneth H. Jacobus (DOA, later DSOIA) | 2d Lt Raymond P. Manyik |
| 2d Lt Gordon E. Markham (DOA, later Chief Analyst for Intelligence) | 2d Lt Richard M. Monson (DSOIA, later DOA) | 2d Lt James L. Parrish (DOA) | 2d Lt Richard W. Peterson (DOA) |
| 2d Lt Darrell L. Rathburn | 2d Lt Juan Rivero | 2d Lt George L. Roeder (computer programmer) | 2d Lt Melvin R. Rooch (DOA, 1967 Chief, Data Control, later 1967 Chief, Launch & Coordination Division) |
| 2d Lt Jon H. Shive (DOA) | 2d Lt Gerald W. Siegelin | 2d Lt Raymond H. Smith | 2d Lt Lillard G. Stearns |
| 2d Lt Leonard G. Tatum (DOA at SCAF, Assistant Administrative Services Officer, 1965 also WSDO at SCAF) | 2d Lt Ivan L. Thomas (DOA) | 2d Lt Richard W. Vander Stucken (DOA) | 2d Lt Frank D. Watson (DSSO)(two 1st Aero tours) |
| 2d Lt Augustus J. Wilkins (DOA) | CWO-4 Robert Rapoport (1965 at SCAF) | CWO-4 Robert W. Gross | CWO-3 Robert R. Paff (communications and electronics officer) |
| MSgt Anthony (NMI) Berish (1965 likely WSDO)Wame = "history"/> | MSgt Paul E. Fryman (DSST, later NCOIC Orbital Analysis Branch)SW> Heiser (DSST)Drvices Officer) | MSgt William J. May (launch & decay technician, later NCOIC SPADAT Operations Center) | MSgt Arnold G. McGill (NCOIC Operations Support Branch) |
| TSgt Frederick W. Amborn, Jr. (DSST) | TSgt Glennis W. Ballard (DD) | TSgt James P. Boyce (DPMO) | TSgt Richard L.R. DuVal (DD) |
| TSgt Donald L. Horner (DSST) | TSgt Arlen F. Kincel (DSST) | TSgt Floyd G. Larson (DPM(PC)O) | TSgt Eugene S. Marks (DPMO) |
| TSgt Delmon S. Myers (DD) | TSgt George W. Turnage (DSST) | TSgt James R. Shuman (1965 at SCAF) | TSgt W. H. Smothers, Jr. |
| TSgt Randall R. Wage (1965) | TSgt Gene M. Williamson (1965 at SCAF) | TSgt Ralph E. Wilson (assistant DSSO) | TSgt James H. Wimmer (1965 likely WSDO) |
| SSgt Donald L. Armstrong (DPM(PC)O) | SSgt Eugene Cherhoniak (DPMO) | SSgt Thomas A. Everage (DPMO) | SSgt William T. Harm (DD) |
| SSgt John R. Henderson (DPMO) | SSgt Charles R. Holder (Chief Clerk, later Supervisor, Central Operations Support Branch | SSgt Dale. C. Hux (DSST) | SSgt Jack C. Jestes (ADPMO) |
| SSgt Leroy E. Koepka (DPM(PC)O) | SSgt Alvin J. Lucas (DPMO) | SSgt Terrell J. Lamperez (DPMO) | SSgt Alvin J. Lucas (DPMO) |
| SSgt Danny L. Lucas (DD) | SSgt Marco J. Mike (Administrative Supervisor, SPADAT Operations Center) | SSgt James L. Ramsey (DPM(PC)O) | A1C Charles Andrews, Jr. (DPM(PC)O) |
| A1C Floyd D. Birdsong (admin clerk, Central Operations Support Branch) | A1C Albert C. Clark (DPMO) | A1C Paul D. Dougherty (DPM(PC)O) | A1C Clifford G. Fryda (DPM(KP)O) |
| A1C William M. Gerstner (DPMO) | A1C Lee D. Iverson (DPM(PC)O) | A1C Shelby L. Lamb (DPMO) | A1C Joseph H. Nelms (DPMO) |
| A1C Raymond D. Ponder (chief clerk, later ADPMO) | A1C Charlie E. Roysden (DPMO) | A1C Dawson K. White (admin specialist, later ADPMO) | A2C Jon B. Alverzo (DPMO) |
| A2C Thomas E. Harris (DPMO) | A2C Jackie L. Kell (admin clerk, SPADAT Operations Center) | A2C Vernon P. Kingston (DPMO) | A2C Lee G. Luck (DPMO) |
| A2C William B. Shull (admin clerk, SPADAT Operations Center) | A3C E. Lee Benson (ADPMO) | A3C Josef Lagor (DPMO) | A3C John E. Passarelli (admin specialist, SPADAT Operations Center) |
| Carrie L. Grady` | Jo Anne Helpingsteine (secretary, Director SPADAT) | Betty Knipp (key-punch operator) | Carole Prendall (key-punch operator) |
| Barbara L. Ruth (secretary, SPADAT Operations Division, unit historical typist) | Donna Twait (key-punch operator) | Imodene W. Wright (secretary, C&E Division) | GS-4 Jean T. Wright (secretary, 1st Aero Commander) |
| GS-4 Janice Yarborough (secretary) |
Celestial Mechanics Course Students
All Orbital Analysts; some later became Space Surveillance OfficersClass of 1963
| 1st Lt Ivan Thomas | 2d Lt John B. Clark | 2d Lt Robert W. Cox | 2d Lt William T. "Tom" Mills (DOA, later DSOIA) |
| Lt Watkins |
Class of 1964
| 2d Lt Andrew W. Ballas, Jr. (later also became a DSOIA) | 2d Lt Marcus Cabrera | 2d Lt Durand E. Cleveland, Jr | 2d Lt Joel DuBois | 2d Lt James Ferguson |
| 2d Lt Peter Frolick | 2d Lt Martin Glasser (later training officer) (1967–1972) | 2d Lt Tomas Lange | 2d Lt Terry D. Miller | Lt William Bowers |
| Lt Kenneth Moon |
Other Personnel (1967)
| Lt Col Coleman M. Harris (Deputy for Technical Operations) | Lt Col Ralph W. White (Assistant Chief then Chief, Systems Operations) | Maj Charles P. Martin | Capt Charles R. Coon (SDC Operations) |
| Capt Charles W. McNichols III | Capt Robert S. Parker (SDC Operations) | Capt Leon B. Patton (Administrative Services Officer) | 1st Lt Henry B. Eckert |
| 1st Lt Michael J. Gray (Analysis & Technical Support) | 2d Lt Charles F. Marlow (Analysis & Technical Support) | 2d Lt David K. Stubbs (Analysis & Technical Support) | 2d Lt Dillon E. Vanderford (Administrative Services Officer) |
Later officer personnel (1968-1972)
| Maj G. Wesley Clark | Maj Fred Clarke | Maj Robert W. Lacy (Senior Director, later Chief, Training Office) |
Maj Donald A. Vogt (Assistant Chief, Systems Operations, Space Defense Center, Unit Historian) |
| Capt Bill Brown, Jr. (DOA) | Capt Dick A. Cable (DOA) | Capt Mike Grey | Capt Pete Roe |
| Capt Daniel O. Schwartz (DOA) (later 1st Aero training officer and then Space Defense Center Senior Director) |
Capt Len Tatum (DOA) | 1st Lt Bill Barker (DOA) | 1st Lt Sue Breeden (DOA) |
| lst Lt Walt Frankhauser (DOA) | 1st Lt Bruce Garman (DOA) | 1st Lt Rollie Jastaad (DOA) | 1st Lt Dick Katz (DOA) |
| 1st Lt Jim Lewis (DOA) | 1st Lt Bob Morris (DOA) | 1st Lt Ron Mosely (DOA) | 1st Lt Larry Narcus (DOA) |
Contractors
The PhilcoPhilco
Philco, the Philadelphia Storage Battery Company , was a pioneer in early battery, radio, and television production as well as former employer of Philo Farnsworth, inventor of cathode ray tube television...
representative was Carl J. Stotz. Troy Thornton was a Philco Customer Engineer. John Ferguson and Byron Crockett were two of the operators of the Philco 2000.
Baruch "Barry" Rosenberg, Wolf Research & Development Corporation, was at Ent AFB, 1961–1963, to help insure that the computer programs from the Project Space Track IBM 7090 worked properly on the Philco 2000. In 1963, he returned to Hanscom Field, 496L ESSPO, as a Wolf Corporation consultant doing the same work.
Some other Wolf Research & Development Corporation members working at Colorado Springs in support of 1st Aero were computer operators and data processing personnel, among whom were James Conway, Ronald Crockett, Michael Hansen, Robert Kopycinski, Nancy MacQuarrie, Alta McMillan, and Leo Ryan Peter B. Salisbury was a Programmer Analyst in 1965.
Genevieve L. Thomas was the Wolf Corporation secretary
.
Aeronutronic
Aeronutronic
Aeronutronic was a defense and space related division of Ford Motor Company set up in 1956. In 1961 Ford purchased Philco and merged the two companies in 1963. Aeronutronic provided major support for the development of Project Space Track...
: Dr. Louis G. Walters, Charles Geoffrey "Geoff" Hilton, Ralph Schinnerer, Patricia Crossin, Linda Bergstensson Ferguson.
System Development Corporation
System Development Corporation
System Development Corporation , based in Santa Monica, California, was considered the world's first computer software company.SDC started in 1955 as the systems engineering group for the SAGE air defense ground system at the RAND Corporation...
: Jack Stanfield, Roy Schaub, Mary E. Ferguson, H. Adelman. The SDC contract for system program integration expired on 30 June 1970 and the function was assumed by 1st Aero personnel.
TRW
TRW
TRW Inc. was an American corporation involved in a variety of businesses, mainly aerospace, automotive, and credit reporting. It was a pioneer in multiple fields including electronic components, integrated circuits, computers, software and systems engineering. TRW built many spacecraft,...
: Dr. David Morrison.
Professor Leland E. Cunningham from the Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, came to Ent AFB as a consultant to analyse the accuracy of the Philco 2000 computations. Professor Cunningham was an expert on the orbits of comets, on numerical analysis, and on the accuracy of computer computations.
Other Support
Several people from Project Space Track at Hanscom Field came to Ent AFB to assist activation of 1st Aero. Among these were Dr. Eberhart W. Wahl, 1st Lt Algimantas Šimoliūnas, 1st Lt Lawrence R. Cotter (who arrived at Ent AFB 20 March 1961 to coordinate 496L SPO participation in the activation of the SPADATS Control Center and was later assigned to 1st Aero), 1st Lt Jack A. Frohbieter, Robert Chabot, Lawrence Cuthbert, and Harold Lyons.9th Aerospace Defense Division and Air Defense Command:
Dr. Hans Beat Wackernagel moved to Colorado Springs from Project Space Track as 1st Aero Squadron Astronomer then, in mid-1962, transferred to the 9th Aerospace Defense Division. From 1979, he was a Physicist at HQ NORAD. Dr. Wackernagel, who retired in 1990, spent his working life analyzing SPACETRACK operations. As he said "When we find a problem, we suggest ways to solve it.". He was known in part for development of the geopotential Space Track Earth Model (SPEM) and his interest in converting all surveillance systems to the metric system, which had been used for orbital computations since 1957. With Charles Geoffrey Hilton of Aeronutronic, he co-authored "Mathematical Foundation for SCC Astrodynamic Theory," a treatise called TP8, which is till in use. [SCC was the Space Computational Center, a follow-on to 1st Aero.]
Captain Brad Wilde also supported 1st Aero.