SATELLITE-TRACKING PROGRAM — ^HAYES 



307 



ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING 



AUXILIARY POWER SUPPLY' 



Figure 3. — Typical layout of a Baker-Nunn camera station. 



Dr. Walter Steiger contributed much to the success of the satellite- 

 tracking program there. 



From the farming centers and cane towns of Maui, 22 miles of 

 extremely winding road lead up the mountain to the station. Most 

 of the observers live in a small village about 12 miles by road from 

 the top. 



On Maui there is almost every kind of climate. One side of the 

 mountain is completely arid, the other side is a tropical rain forest. 

 The station is about 10,000 feet in altitude, above almost all clouds; 

 if there are clouds, they are seen as fog. Cinder dust in a strong wind 

 is a problem, although not a serious one. 



Even before these sites were actually chosen, realistic plans had to 

 be made for constructing, equipping, and supporting the stations. 

 Usually, the establishing of an astronomical observatory requires 

 three to five years. Now, 12 had to be built in less than a year and 

 a half. Furthermore, the staff of the Smithsonian had to decide what 

 would be needed to make the stations reasonably self-contained and 

 self-sufficient before they knew where the stations would be located. 



The layout of each station and the design of the buildings were the 

 responsibility of Elwyn Balch, who served as a construction consultant 

 to the Observatory and who worked closely with local authorities in 

 planning and constructing the facilities at each site. 



The general layout consisted of a building to house the Baker-Nunn 

 camera, an administration building, a powerhouse, a tool and fuel 

 shed, and possibly a separate unit for developing film. The design 

 for the camera house included provisions for a sliding roof that would 



