Mercury project spacecraft were tracked using a global network of stations
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Historical reports and technical documentation confirm that Project Mercury spacecraft were tracked through launch, orbit, and recovery phases by a worldwide network of stations.
E NUGGET OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKAMEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS NOME ALASKA FRIDAY MAY 25 1962 Per Copy 15 iNew Dangers Brought to Light On Carpenters Triple Orbit of the Earth By Vera Haugland fit CAPE CANAVERAL Fla UR Malcolm Scott Carpenter may have been in more danger during his triple flight around the earth than even he realized it was disclosed today The communications team that tracked Carpenter on three orbits around the earth indicated today that he may have become danger ously tired even confused on the last time around This startling information came to light in a postflight debriefing by radio hookup among all 17 stations on the Project Mercury worldwide network It could help explain why the Aurora 7 capsule reentered the atmosphere at such a shallow angle at the end of its orbital journey yesterday that it overshot the planned landing area by some 250 miles It might also account in part for the dead silence from Carpenter that mystified and alarmed mil lions and the searchers into a vast manhunt from the moment of re entry until the astronaut was lo cated 41 minutes later The tracking station at Kauai awaii said that when it instruct
The NASA Project Mercury spacecraft is tracked through its launch, orbit, and recovery phases by a world-wide network of tracking stations. The short duration of the manned flights and the paramount considerations of the astronaut's safety require a much more sophisticated ground range than is needed for unmanned flights of longer duration. Thorough testing of the ground acquisition and radar tracking equipment, prior to the spacecraft flights, was accomplished economically with boresight camera techniques, using DC-3 and C-54 aircraft specially equipped to simulate an orbiting spacecraft. Development of this test program is described, along with a discussion of the photographic equipment employed, the problems and limitations encountered and the aircraft equipment.
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