Milestones in Development of Electronics for Remote Measurement and Control

The developments in electronic remote measurement and control as applied to aircraft, rockets and satellites are described. The highlights are considered to be those developments which have contributed most to the technical progress made in the last twenty years. The impact of magnetic tape recorders, automatic digital computers and transistors upon telemetry and remote control is shown. The transition from remote control to automatic control and guidance is noted and the advent of the remote control-computertelemetry closed loop is discussed. The characteristics of data transmission which differentiate it from ordinary radio communications are introduced and new horizons in the industrial applications of telemetry and remote control are described.