Addition of Video to Telemetry Tracking System Upgrades Spatial Data to Radar-Quality

Abstract

Traditionally telemetry trackers have not been required to provide precision space-position data. Such data, when needed, has required expensive radar or optical support. Currently, an increasing number of flight test operations have need of precision spatial data, in conjunction with telemetry data reception, in areas where no radar or optical support is available. To meet this need, EMP has carefully combined existing technologies to upgrade the angle output data accuracy of telemetry trackers to the level expected of precision radars. A TV Boresight Camera and video Tracking Error Detector combined with the EMP Model ACU-6 microprocessor-based Antenna Control Unit provide the means to automatically measure and store all of the systematic bias errors inherent in a telemetry tracking system. The resulting error model is used to provide real-time-data-correction for each error parameter. Video tracking provides correction for dynamic tracking errors in real time. Calibrations utilize boresight and stellar targets. The design goal to reduce dynamic angle data error to <10 arc seconds, RMS, appears to be reasonable.