A proof-of-principle getaway special free-flying satellite demonstration

An air traffic control radar calibration satellite is described that will be used by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. military agencies and cooperating governments around the world to measure antenna patterns associated with the existing international air traffic control network. The satellite will employ three L-band receivers, a UHF command receiver, a VHF telemetry transmitter, associated antennas, a microprocessor, fixed solar arrays, and a power supply to acquire, store and forward signal strength data from some of the tracking radars. A second satellite is planned for launch in 1986 into a high altitude polar orbit with a lifetime of several years in order to provide a long-lived calibration service to the entire international air traffic control system. The initial satellite and associated ground station are being designed and built by a volunteer consortium of three educational institutions and more than a dozen aerospace companies. Following this initial demonstration of a free-flying Getaway Special satellite, a substantial number of organizations are contemplating commercial uses of the concept. Discussions are being held with NASA concerning the establishing of an appropriate fee for this new class of service.