342 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 63 



could by means that were not always quite clear locate people for 

 Whipple or Hynek, relying occasionally, one suspects, not only on tele- 

 phone and telegraph companies but also on any other sources of 

 mformation. The network he developed was the means by which 

 the very life blood of the tracking program was circulated. 



Dr. Whipple felt that the results of the optical satellite-tracking 

 program should be distributed to the scientific community as promptly 

 as possible. He therefore conceived a series of special reports that 

 would publish observations, orbital elements, and scientific results 

 in a matter of days after they had been processed at the Observa- 

 tory. On October 14, ten days after Sputnik I was launched, the first 

 of these was issued, The PreliTninary Orbit Information for Satellites 

 al and a2 by Schilling and Sterne, which listed Moonwatch and other 

 observations. The special reports have continued to be published in 

 ever-increasing numbers. 



THE BAKER-NUNN CAMERA 



At the end of September, tests of the first Baker-Nunn camera in 

 South Pasadena showed that: (1) The best focus with as yet unfin- 

 ished optics was within 1 mm. of the value predicted by the manufac- 

 turers; (2) the image produced by the optics w^as composed of three 

 parts — an outer halo, an intermediate core, and a sharp inner core; 

 (3) the initial collimation of the mirror was satisfactory; (4) opera- 

 tion of the camera in several of its modes of mechanical movement 

 indicated that the triaxial mount was highly successful; and (5) 

 some mechanical vibration was observed at high operating speeds 

 although this apparently had little effect on the film exposure. Dr. 

 "Whipple then knew for certain that the camera was capable of track- 

 ing and photographing the IGY artificial earth satellites. 



By September 30, several electronic time standards had been re- 

 ceived from the Norrman Laboratories and were being tested. Also 

 Shapiro & Edwards had completed the design of the slave-clock elec- 

 tronic circuit and delivered a prototype to Boiler and Chivens, where 

 it was installed in the first camera. The first photographs taken by 

 the complete assembly were rushed to Washington by Stefan Sydor 

 and there displayed to the press and to scientists and admmistrators 

 attending the IGY meeting. No longer could anyone say that Van- 

 guard was being deliberately delayed because the Baker-Nunn camera 

 was not ready. 



After the camera had been torn down, minor adjustments made, 

 and the instrument then reassembled, it was set to photograph the 

 first transit of 1957 a 1 over South Pasadena. On the evening of 

 October 17, everything and everyone were ready. The camera was 

 in good operating condition. Dr. Henize, Sam Whidden, Gerry Bar- 



