Space Detection and Tracking System: Difference between revisions

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'''Space Detection and Tracking System,''' or SPADATS, was built in 1960 to integrate defense systems built by different branches of the [[United States Armed Forces]] and was placed under [[North American Aerospace Defense Command]] (NORAD). The [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] had a program called [[Project Space Track|Spacetrack]], which was a network of space-probing cameras and radar. The [[United States Navy|Navy]] had a system called SPASUR or [[NAVSPASUR]], a space surveillance system that was "an electronic fence" the protected the southern United States.<ref name="Sloan2005">{{cite book|author=Elinor C. Sloan|title=Security and Defence in the Terrorist Era|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=evldtppA72AC&pg=PA194|date=28 October 2005|publisher=McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP|isbn=978-0-7735-7320-8|page=194}}</ref>. The Naval Space Surveillance Fence [[NAVSPASUR]] used large radar systems with geographically separated transmitters and receivers. NAVSPASUR used only for detection of missiles, not tracking. The Space Dection and Tracking System (SPADATS) uses [[Ballistic Missile Early Warning Systems]] (BMEWS), that were constructed at Thule AB, Greenland, Clear AFS, AK, and Royal Air Force (RAF) Fylimgdales, UK. Thule AB and Clear AFS operational in 1961, Flyingdalez in 1962.

SPADATS was developed by the SpaceTrack Research and Development Facility, also called the 496L System Program Office, at [[Hanscom Air Force Base|Hanscom Field]] in [[Bedford, Massachusetts]].{{r|Weeden}} It first operated at the Electronic Systems Command building at Hanscom and in 1963 was transferred to the [[Ent Air Force Base]]{{r|Weeden}} and then to the [[Cheyenne Mountain Complex]] in 1965<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.norad.mil/Portals/29/Documents/History/A%20Brief%20History%20of%20NORAD.pdf | title=A Brief History of NORAD | publisher=NORAD |date=December 21, 2012 | author=Office of History, North American Aerospace Defense Command | accessdate=February 23, 2015 }}</ref> or 1966.{{r|Weeden p. 4}} From that point, the SpaceTrack Research and Development Facility continued to build and test new software, manage contracts for hardware and software, and operate as a backup facility.<ref name=Weeden>{{cite web | url=http://swfound.org/media/15742/computer%20systems%20and%20algorithms%20for%20space%20situational%20awareness%20-%20history%20and%20future%20development.pdf | title=Computer Systems and Algorithms for Space Situational Awareness: History and Future Development | author=Brian C. Weeden and Paul J. Cefola |work=ISCOPS 12th International Conference of Pacific-Basin Societies | publisher=Advances in the Astronautical Sciences | via=Secure World Foundation | date=December 1, 2010 | volume=138 |page=3-4 | accessdate=February 23, 2015}}</ref> SPADATS was developed in assembly language and the hardware at all three locations was Philco 2000/Model 212 large scale [[transistor computer]]s.<ref name="Weeden p. 4">{{cite web | url=http://swfound.org/media/15742/computer%20systems%20and%20algorithms%20for%20space%20situational%20awareness%20-%20history%20and%20future%20development.pdf | title=Computer Systems and Algorithms for Space Situational Awareness: History and Future Development | author=Brian C. Weeden and Paul J. Cefola |work=ISCOPS 12th International Conference of Pacific-Basin Societies | publisher=Advances in the Astronautical Sciences | via=Secure World Foundation | date=December 1, 2010 | volume=138 |page=3-4 | accessdate=February 23, 2015}}</ref> Spiral Decay, a Special Perturbation Program, was used to model the motion of space objects re-entering the Earth's atmosphere. Project 437 used a second Special Perturbation Program called ESPOD.{{r|Weeden p. 4}}