A Data Reduction and Analysis Program for the "Telstar" Satellite Communication System

Raw data from the ¿TELSTAR¿ Communications Satellite is processed on a High-Speed Digital Computer to produce tables and plots for evaluating communication and tracking performance. Data from the satellite and the Andover Earth Station is recorded in digital form on 7-track magnetic tape at the Earth Station, compressed, sent to a data center via Bell System ¿DATA-PHONE¿ service, then reduced and analyzed on an IBM 1401 and 7090. Plots of various quantities are produced by a Stromberg-Carlson Microfilm Printer. Short output tables of communication and tracking parameters are produced for each pass. Data from a 1/2-hour satellite pass takes about 1/4 hour to be compressed, and about 3/4 hour to be transmitted via ¿DATA-PHONE¿ service. After a 1/4-hour edit on the 1401, approximately 20 seconds on the 7090 produces an analyzed output table containing one row for each minute of the pass.