National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration

Proceedings of the Apollo Unified S-band Technical Conference National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration

This history of the Manned Space Flight Network reveals that each successive mission is considered more complex than the previous one. As a result, the tracking and communication problems become more complicated, requiring more sophisticated equipment. The Apollo missions differ considerably from past manned missions in that there is a requirement, for the first time, to send astronauts to the moon and return them safely to earth. For this reason, the position of the spacecraft must be known at all times and continuous communications must be maintained between earth and the spacecraft during most of the mission phases. This requirement has dictated incorporating the Unified S-Band System into the Manned Space Flight Network. This system will provide the primary tracking and communications data between earth and the spacecraft in the later Apollo missions. The proceedings contained herein are the conference records of papers presented at the Technical Conference on the Apollo Unified S-Band System. These proceedings will constitute a first handbook pertaining the Apollo Manned Space Flight Network.