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Satellites on the Air
December 1962 & March, April, May, and June 1963 Popular Electronics

December 1962 Popular Electronics

December 1962 Popular Electronics Cover - RF CafeTable of Contents

Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Popular Electronics, published October 1954 - April 1985. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.

By late 1962, the United States was launching new satellites at a very rapid pace. Many were destroyed on the launch pad, others never turned on once in orbit, still more turned on and operated in a crippled form and/or only for a small portion of their intended lifespans. It was a learning period for the entire satellite, rocket, mission control, Earth-based tracking stations, and the communications equipment that dialoged with the satellites. The "race" part of the Space Race moniker was literal. Popular Electronics, QST, Electronics World, and other electronics communications publications regularly printed a list of newly commissioned satellites. The lists presented here came from five different 1962-1963 editions of Popular Electronics. The feature was repeated for many years. Incidentally, the "mc" frequency unit used at the time was the common abbreviation for "million cycles per second." In 1960, the Hertz was adopted by the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) (Conférence générale des poids et mesures) to replace cycles per second (cps). About a decade was required to get most people to use Hz as the base frequency unit; old habits die hard.

Satellites on hte Air, Popular Electronics - RF Cafe    Satellites on the Air

December 1962 March 1963 April 1963 May 1963 June 1963

The following satellites, launched by the United States and the Soviet Union, were reported to have beacon and telemetry transmissions as of October 10, 1962. The satellites are listed by their code names, according to frequency; because some transmit on more than one frequency, they appear more than once.

Explorer VII

19.990 mc.

Discoverer XXXVI

20.005 mc.

Transit IVA

54.000 mc.

Courier IB

107.970 mc.

TIROS I

107.997 mc.

TIROS III

108.000 mc.

Vanguard I*

108.024 mc.

TIROS III

108.030 mc.

Telstar

136.050 mc.

Transit IVA

136.200 mc.

TIROS IV

136.230 mc.

TIROS V and TIROS VI

136.235 mc.

Explorer XIV

136.440 mc.

Injun SR-3

136.500 mc.

Traac*

136.650 mc.

OSO I

136.744 mc.

Transit IVB

136.800 mc.

TIROS IV

136.920 mc.

TIROS V and TIROS VI

136.922 mc.

Alouette

136.979 mc.

Transit IVA

150.000 mc.

Transit IIA

161.990 mc.

Transit IIA

215.990 mc.

Midas IV

228.200 mc.

Midas IV

232.400 mc.

 

*Signal may be very weak

At least four more satellites are in orbit and may be transmitting. However, these are so-called "secret" satellites launched by the U.S. Air Force.

If you're interested in eavesdropping on satellites, and missed our June 1962 article on the NASA-136 converter, we recommend that you look it up. Easy to construct, this sensitive converter can intercept the satellites operating in the 136-137 mc. band .

 

Satellites on the Air, December 1962 - RF Cafe

 The following satellites, launched by the United States, were reported to have beacon and telemetry transmissions as of January 15, 1963 The satellites are listed by their code names, according to frequency; because some transmit on more than one frequency, they appear more than once

Transit IVA

54.000 mc.

Courier IB

107.970 mc.

TIROS I

107.997 mc.

TIROS III

108.000 mc.

Vanguard 1*

108.024 mc.

TIROS III

108.030 mc.

Telstar

136.050 mc.

Explorer XV

136.101 mc.

Relay I

136.140 mc.

Transit IVA

136.200 mc.

Explorer XVI

136.200 mc.

TIROS IV

136.230 mc.

TIROS V and TIROS VI

136.235 mc.

Ariel

136.408 mc.

Explorer XIV

136.440 mc.

Injun SR·3

136.500 mc.

Alouette

136.590 mc.

Relay I

136.620 mc.

Traac*

136.650 mc.

OSO I

136.744 mc.

Transit IVB

136.800 mc.

Anna

136.815 mc.

Explorer XVI

136.860 mc.

TIROS IV

136.920 mc.

TIROS V and TIROS VI

136.922 mc.

Alouette

136.979 mc.

Transit IVA

150.000 mc.

Transit VA

150.000 mc.

Transit IIA

161.990 mc.

Transit IIA

215.990 mc.

Midas IV

228.200 mc.

Midas IV

232.400 mc.

Transit VA

400.000 mc.

 

*Signal may be very weak

There are several more satellites in orbit and may be transmitting However, these are so-called "secret" satellites launched by the U S Air Force

If you're interested in eavesdropping on satellites, and missed our June 1962 article on the NASA-136 converter, we recommend that you look it up Easy to construct, this sensitive converter can intercept the satellites operating in the 136-137 mc band

 

Satellites on the Air, March 1963 - RF Cafe

The following satellites, launched by the United States, were reported to have beacon and telemetry transmissions as of February 12, 1963. The satellites are listed by their code names, according to frequency; because some transmit on more than one frequency, they appear more than once.

Transit IVA

54.000 mc.

Courier IB

107.970 mc.

TIROS I

107.997 mc.

TIROS III

108.000 mc.

Vanguard I*

108.024 mc.

TIROS III

108.030 mc.

Telstar

136.050 mc.

Explorer XV

136.101 mc.

Relay I

136.140 mc.

Transit IVA

136.200 mc.

Explorer XVI

136.200 mc.

TIROS IV

136.230 mc.

TIROS V and TIROS VI

136.235 mc.

Ariel

136.408 mc.

Explorer XIV

136.440 mc.

Injun SR-3

136.500 mc.

Alouette

136.590 mc.

Relay I

136.620 mc.

Traac*

136.650 mc.

OSO I

136.744 mc.

Transit IVB

136.800 mc.

Anna IB

136.815 mc.

Explorer XVI

136.858 mc.

TIROS IV

136.920 mc.

TIROS V and TIROS VI

136.922 mc.

Alouette

136.979 mc.

Transit IVA

150.000 mc.

Transit VA

150.000 mc.

Transit IIA

161.990 mc.

Transit IIA

215.990 mc.

Midas IV

228.200 mc.

Midas IV

232.400 mc.

Transit VA

400.000 mc.

 

*Signal may be very weak

There are several more satellites in orbit which may be transmitting. However, these are so-called "secret" satellites launched by the U.S. Air Force.

If you're interested in eavesdropping on satellites, and missed our June 1962 article on the NASA-136 converter, we recommend that you look it up. Easy to construct, this sensitive converter can intercept the satellites operating in the 136-137 mc. band.

 

Satellites on the Air, April 1963 - RF Cafe

The following satellites, launched by the United States, were reported to have beacon and telemetry transmissions as of March 13. 1963. The satellites are listed by their code names, according to frequency; because some transmit on more than one frequency. they appear more than once.

Transit IVA

54.000 mc.

Courier IB

107.970 mc.

TIROS I

107.997 mc.

TIROS III

108.000 mc.

Vanguard 1*

108.024 mc.

TIROS III

108.030 mc.

Telstar

136.050 mc.

Explorer XV

136.101 mc.

Relay I

136.140 mc.

Transit IVA

136.200 mc.

Explorer XVI

136.200 mc.

TIROS IV

136.230 mc.

TIROS V and TIROS VI

136.235 mc.

Ariel

136.408 mc.

Explorer XIV

136.440 mc.

Injun SR-3

136.500 mc.

Alouette

136.590 mc.

Relay I

136.620 mc.

Traac*

136.650 mc.

OSO I

136.744 mc.

Transit IVB

136.800 mc.

Anna IB

136.815 mc.

Explorer XVI

136.858 mc.

TIROS IV

136.920 mc.

TIROS V and TIROS VI 

136.922 mc.

Alouette

136.979 mc.

Transit IVA

150.000 mc.

Transit VA

150.000 mc.

Transit IIA

161.990 mc.

Transit IIA

215.990 mc.

Midas IV

228.200 mc.

Midas IV

232.400 mc.

Transit VA

400.000 mc.

 

*Signal may be very weak

There are several more satellites in orbit which may be transmitting. However, these are so-called "secret" satellites launched by the U.S. Air Force.

If you're interested in eavesdropping on satellites, and missed our June 1962 article on the NASA-136 converter, we recommend that you look it up. Easy to construct, this sensitive converter can intercept the satellites operating in the 136-137 mc. band.

 

Satellites on the Air, May 1963 - RF Cafe

The following satellites, launched by the United States, were reported to have beacon and telemetry transmissions as of April 17, 1963. The satellites are listed by their code names, according to frequency; because some transmit on more than one frequency, they appear more than once.

Transit 4A

54.000 mc.

Vanguard 1*

108.023 mc.

Relay 1

136.140 mc.

Transit 4A

136.200 mc.

Explorer 16**

136.200 mc.

Tiros 4

136.230 mc.

Tiros 6

136.233 mc.

Tiros 5

136.234 mc.

Explorer 17**

136.317 mc.

Ariel

136.407 mc.

Explorer 14

136.440 mc.

Explorer 17

136.560 mc.

Alouette**

136.593 mc.

Relay 1

136.620 mc.

OSO I

136.744 mc.

Anna 1B

136.815 mc.

Explorer 16

136.860 mc.

Injun 3**

136.860 mc.

Tiros 6

136.922 mc.

Tiros 5

136.923 mc.

Anna 1B

136.975 mc.

Alouette

136.979 mc.

Transit 4A

150.000 mc.

Anna 1B

162.000 mc.

 

*Transmits only while satellite is in sunlight - no battery power

**Transmits only upon command from ground stations - not during every pass

Satellites of the Soviet Union have telemetry and tracking transmissions in the 19.990 - 20.010 mc. band. Whenever a Cosmos series satellite is launched, check Radio Moscow for an announcement of tracking frequencies. Most Cosmos series satellites re-enter the atmosphere in 60-90 days. Cosmos 2, 5, and 8 are in orbit at press time, but do not seem to be transmitting.

If you're interested in eavesdropping on satellites, and missed our June 1962 article on the NASA-136 converter, we recommend that you look it up. Easy to construct, this sensitive converter can intercept the satellites operating in the 136-137 mc. band.

 

Satellites on the Air, June 1963 - RF Cafe

 

 

Posted January 20, 2022
(updated from original post on 3/30/2014)
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