Spacecraft Tracking and Data Acquisition Network
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The Spacecraft Tracking and Data (Acquisition) Network (STADAN or STDN) was established by NASA to satisfy the requirement for long-duration, highly-available space-to-ground communications.
Consisting of parabolic dish antennas and telephone switching equipment deployed around the world, the STADAN provided space-to-ground communications for approximately 15 minutes of a 90-minute orbit period. This limited contact period sufficed for unmanned spacecraft, but manned spacecraft require a much higher data collection time.
[edit] Stations
STADAN stations were at:
- Greenbelt, Maryland, USA - Network Test and Training Facility
- Orroral Valley, Canberra, Australia
- Cooby Creek, Toowoomba, Australia
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Tananarive, Madagascar
- East Grand Forks, Minnesota
- St Johns, Newfoundland, Canada
- Fort Myers, Florida
- Quito, Ecuador
- Lima, Peru
- Santiago, Chile
- Antafagasta, Chile
- Fairbanks, Alaska
- Winklefield, England
- Rosman, North Carolina
- Barstow, California
- Brown Field near Chula Vista, California
- Pakistan
- Crete, Greece
[edit] Later Developments
The follow-on network, called the Manned Space flight Network (MSFN), interacted with manned craft in Earth orbit. Another network, the Deep Space Network (DSN), interacted with manned craft higher than 10,000 miles from Earth, such as the Apollo missions, in addition to its primary mission of data collection from deep space probes.
[edit] External links
- "STDN User's Manual" - Goddard Space Flight Center, (NASA-TM-X-72932) STDN User's Manual N75-78163, Baseline Document (NASA) 124 pages, UNCLAS 00/98 03939
- Network stations list
