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The FPS-16 radar sits atop Tranquillon Peak overlooking all of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, including Space Launch Complex-6, and the shoreline. Tranquillon Peak's elevation of 2,126 feet (648 m) is the highest point on Vandenberg AFB. The radar provides data and range safety for missile launches. This radar, along with its data system, is used for tracking the Minuteman III ICBM.
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The AN/FPS-16 is a highly accurate ground-based monopulse single object tracking radar (SOTR), used extensively by the NASA manned space program, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army. The accuracy of Radar Set AN/FPS-16 is such that the position data obtained from point-source targets has azimuth and elevation angular errors of less than 0.1 milliradian (approximately 0.006 degree) and range errors of less than 5 yards (5 m) with a signal-to-noise ratio of 20 decibels or greater.
FPS-16 Monopulse Tracking Radar[edit]
The first monopulse radar was developed at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in 1943 to overcome the angular limitations of existing designs. The monopulse technique makes angular determinations simultaneously on each individual received pulse. This improvement in radar technology provides a tenfold increase in angular accuracy over previous fire and missile control radars at longer ranges. The monopulse radar is now the basis for all modern tracking and missile control radars. Although monopulse radar was developed independently and secretly in several countries, Robert Morris Page at the NRL is generally credited with the invention and holds the U.S. patent on this technique.
The monopulse technique was first applied to the Nike-Ajax missile system, an early U.S. continental air defense weapon. Many improvements were made to provide a more compact and efficient monopulse antenna feed and lobe comparison waveguide circuitry, such that monopulse tracking radar became the generally accepted tracking radar system for military and civilian agencies, such as NASA and the FAA.
The NRL's work on monopulse radars eventually led to the AN/FPS-16, developed jointly by NRL and RCA as the first radar designed especially for missile ranges. The AN/FPS-16 was used to guide the first U.S. space satellite launches, Explorer 1 and Vanguard 1, at Cape Canaveral in 1958.
FPS-16 and Project Mercury[edit]
The FPS-16 radar at Vandenberg AFB, California has been used for tracking NASA space vehicles since the 1960s.
The C-band monopulse tracking radar (AN/FPS-16) used in the Project Mercury was inherently more accurate than its S-band conically-scanned counterpart, the Very Long Range Tracking (VERLORT) radar system. The AN/FPS-16 radar system was introduced at the Atlantic Missile Test Range with installations including Cape Canaveral, Grand Bahama, San Salvador, Ascension and East Grand Bahama Island between 1958 and 1961. The FPS-16 located on the Australian Weapons Research Establisnment Range at Woomera, in South Australia was also linked to the NASA network for Mercury and later missions. NASA Acq aid and telemetry systems were co-located with the Australian radar.
To obtain reliability in providing accurate trajectory data, the Mercury spacecraft was equipped with C-band and S-band cooperative beacons. The ground radar systems had to be compatible with the spacecraft radar beacons. The FPS-16 radar in use at most national missile ranges was selected to meet the C-band requirement. Although it originally had a range capability of only 250 nautical miles (460 km), most of the FPS-16 radar units selected for the project had been modified for operation up to 500 nautical miles (900 km), a NASA requirement, and modification kits were obtained for the remaining systems. In addition to the basic radar system, it was also necessary to provide the required) does not necessarily mean that the Army, Navy or Air Force use the equipment, but simply that the type nomenclature was assigned according to the military nomenclature system. The meaning of the three letter prefixes; FPS, MPS, FPQ and TPQ are:
- FPS - fixed; radar; detecting and/or range and bearing
- MPS - ground, mobile; radar; detecting and/or range and bearing
- FPQ - fixed; radar; special, or combination of purposes
- TPQ - ground, transportable; radar; special, or combination of purposes.
Principles of operation[edit]
AN/FPS-16 Radar Set block diagram.
The AN/FPS-16 is a C-band monopulse radar utilizing a waveguide hybrid-labyrinth comparator to develop angle track information. The comparator receives RF signals from an array of four feed horns which are located at the focal point of a 12-foot (4 m) parabolic reflector. The comparator performs vector addition and subtraction of the energyreceived by each horn. The elevation tracking data is generated in the comparator as the difference between the sums of the top two horns. The azimuth tracking error is the difference between the sums of the two vertical horn pairs. The vectorial sums of all four horns is combined in a third channel. Three mixers with a common local oscillator, and three 30 MHz IF strips are used; one each for the azimuth, elevation, and sum signals.
The same four-horn cluster is used for RF transmission. The transmitter output is delivered to the comparator labyrinth, which now acts to divide the outgoing power equally between all four horns. The receivers are protected by TR tubes during the transmit time.
The horn cluster is located approximately at the focal point of a 12-foot (4 m) parabolic reflector. During the transmission cycle, the energy is distributed equally among the four horns. During the receive cycle, the outputs of the elevation and azimuth comparator arms represent the amount of angular displacement between the target position and electrical axis. Consider an off-axis target - the image is displaced from the focal point, and the difference in signal intensity at the face of the horns is indicative of angular displacement. An on-target condition will cause equal and in-phase signals at each of the four horns and zero output from the elevation and azimuth arms.
The sum, azimuth, and elevation signals are converted to 30 MHzIF signals and amplified. The phases of the elevation and azimuth signals are then compared with the sum signal to determine error polarity. These errors are detected, commutated, amplified, and used to control the antenna-positioning servos. A part of the reference signal is detected and used as a video range tracking signal and as the video scope display. A highly precise antenna mount is required to maintain the accuracy of the angle system.
The FPS-16 antenna pedestal is a precision-machined item, engineered to close tolerances, assembled in dust-free, air-conditioned rooms to prevent warping during mechanical assembly. The pedestal is mounted on a reinforced concrete tower to provide mechanical rigidity. The electronic equipment is mounted in a two-story concrete building, which surrounds the tower to decrease tower warping due to solar radiation.
The radar utilizes a 12-foot (4 m) parabolic antenna giving a beamwidth of 1.2 degrees at thehalf-power points. The range system uses 1.0, 0.5, or 0.25-microsecond wide pulses. Pulse width and prf can be set by pushbuttons. Twelve repetition frequencies between 341 and 1707 pulses per second can be selected. A jack is provided through which the modulator can be pulsed by an external source. By means of external modulation, a code of 1 to 5 pulses may be used.
Data rake-offs are provided for potentiometer, synchro, and digital information in allthree coordinates. The azimuth and elevation digital data is derived from optical-typeanalog-to-digital encoders. Two geared coders with ambiguity resolution are used foreach parameter. The data for each angle is a Gray code 17-bit word in serial form.The overlapping ambiguity bits are removed, and the data is transformed from cyclicGray code to straight binary before recording for transmission to the computer. Therange servo presents a 20-bit straight binary word in serial form after ambiguityresolution and code conversion. The same type optical encoders are used.
The AN/FPS-16 antenna pedestal is mounted on a 12-by-12-foot (4 by 4 m) concrete towerwhich extends 27 feet (8 m) above grade level. The center of the emplaced antenna is approximately 36 feet (11 m) above grade level. The electronic equipment, auxiliary system, maintenance section, etc., are housed in a 66 by 30 by 24 ft (20×9×7 m) two-story concreteblock building. The building surrounds, but is not attached to, the pedestal tower. This method of construction places the tower within the air conditioned environment of the equipment building and provides protection from solar radiation and other weather effects which would dilute the inherent accuracy of the system. Power requirements for each station are: 120/208 volts, ±10 volts, 4-wire, 60 Hz; 175 kV·A.
Models of the AN/FPS-16[edit]
The AN/FPS-16 and AN/FPQ-6 are C-band tracking radar systems. Their key characteristics are compared in the following table.
AN/FPS-16 (XN-I)[edit]
The first experimental model was made with an X-band RF system and a lens-type antenna. It later was changed to C-band with a reflector antenna. This radar was further modified for use on Vanguard and is now installed at the Atlantic Missile Range, Patrick AFB, Florida.
AN/FPS-16 (XN-[edit]
Two of this model were made. One was installed on Grand Bahama Island, BWI, and one remained at RCA (now Lockheed Martin), Moorestown, N.J. These radars are almost identical to later production models.
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AN/FPS-16 (XN-3)[edit]
This was an experimental version of AN/FPS-16 (XN-2) that includes a 3-megawatt modification kit, a circular polarization kit, a data correction kit, and a boresight televisionkit. This radar was installed at RCA, Moorestown, N.J.
AN/FPS-16AX[edit]
This is a production AN/FPS-16 modified according to (XN-3). Three radars located at White Sands Missile Range, and one located at Moorestown, New Jersey, have been so modified. AN/MPS-25 is the nomenclature of a trailer-mounted production model AN/FPS-16.
AN/FPQ-4[edit]
This is an adaptation of AN/FPS-16 that was made for use as a target tracker in the land-based Talos system. Two models were installed at WSMR. Two more models, with modifications, were installed on a ship for use in the Atlantic Missile Range on the Project DAMP. A fifth such radar was installed at RCA, Moorestewn, N.J. as a part of the Project DAMP research facility.
Upgrade Modifications[edit]
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Significant improvements and updates were incorporated in numerous AN/FPS-16 & TPQ-18 systems through and beyond the 1960s.
Digital Ranging Machine (DIRAM, ADRAN) The electro-mechanical range servo tracking machine was replaced with a hard-wired digital logic Range tracking subsystem (a couple of generations). Analog receiver inputs of Early-Late gate range error signals integrated to produce count-up/down increments to the Range Counter which was decoded to produce tracking gates and display triggers to about ~5.25MHz (~190nSec) resolution. Similar counting and decoding was used to generate transmit timing (T0, PRF, ..). Some higher resolution timing was generated with a tapped delay-line technique.
Doppler Velocity Extraction System (DVES) This modification included the Digital Ranging modification, and added a general purpose digital computer, and a sub-set of the AN/FPQ-6 CSP (coherent signal processor) Doppler Velocity tracking sub-system (see AN/FPQ-6). The FPS-16 (and MPS-36) omitted CSP function was the received signal I&Q IF integration in very narrow crystal filters. The coherent transmit and LO receive and Doppler Velocity tracking servo loops were included for clean un-ambiguous velocity data. The general purpose digital computer provided the Pulse Doppler ambiguity resolution filtering, implemented the angle servo loop-closure for Az-El tracking, and other functions.
References[edit]
- Radar Set - Type: AN/FPS-16. US Air Force TM-11-487C-1, Volume 1, MIL-HDBK-162A. 15 December 1965.
- R.M. Page. Accurate angle tracking by radar. NRL Report RA-3A-222A, December 28, 1944.
- U.S. Patent No. 2,929,056 to R.M. Page, 'Simultaneous Lobing Tracking Radar', March 1960.
- L.A. Gebhard. Evolution of Naval Radio-Electronics and Contributions of the Naval Research Laboratory. NRL Report 8300, 1979.
- NASA Publication SP-45, 'Mercury Project Summary, Including Results of the Fourth Manned Orbital Flight, May 15 and 16, 1963. October 1963.
- Danielsen, E. F.; Duquet, R. T. A Comparison of FPS-16 and GMD-1 Measurements and Methods for Processing Wind Data. Journal of Applied Meteorology, vol. 6, Issue 5, pp. 824–836, 10/1967.
- Scoggins, J.R. An evaluation of detailed wind data that is measured by the FPS-16 radar/spherical balloon technique. NASA Tech. Note TN D-1572, 30 pp. 1963.
- Hoihjelle, Donald L. AN/FPS-16(AX) Radar Modeling and Computer Simulation. Defense Technology Information Center Accession Number : AD0738167, White Sands Missile Range N Mex Instrumentation Directorate, 25 pp. February 1972.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RCA_AN/FPS-16_Instrumentation_Radar&oldid=1040803180'
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