320 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 64 



own individual ways; others required assistance from field represen- 

 tatives later sent out by the Observatory. 



The Smithsonian had no funds to supply equipment other than 

 M-17 telescopes and the loan of satellite simulators, tape recorders, 

 and a few other items, most of them U.S. Government surplus. Each 

 team, therefore, was required to provide its own means for correct 

 timing of the observations, its own observing site, and other facilities. 

 The Moonwatchers showed great ingenuity in supplying themselves 

 with these necessities. 



In all probability, any other arrangement would have proved disas- 

 trous. Had the Observatory given money for these purchases, un- 

 doubtedly a wholly different type of person would have volunteered 

 for the teams. He would not have been essentially a pioneer; he 

 would not have wanted to devise ways and means of meeting needs. 

 In this respect, the first Moonwatchers resembled the first observers 

 at the Baker-Nunn stations, who also had to pioneer in the develop- 

 ment of observing techniques and in the most efficient use of available 

 equipment. 



On the other hand, a vital difference between the Moonwatch teams 

 and the Baker-Nunn stations needs to be stressed. Both had to de- 

 velop techniques to meet individual situations. For the Moonwatch 

 teams, this proved a means of maintaining a lively interest in the pro- 

 gram and of taxing the creativity and energy of the participants. 

 The same was also true of the observers at the Baker-Nunn stations 

 during the initial phases of the program. Later, however, the re- 

 quirement that the Baker-Nunn observations be standardized to a 

 single formula and that a high level of consistent excellence be main- 

 tained necessitated the development of strict routines that proved in 

 some instances to be miacceptable to the independent spirit of the 

 observers. This problem had to be faced and solved at the first 

 station chiefs' conference in 1959. 



Meanwhile, the Moonwatch network flourished during those early 

 days of satellite tracking. But as the Baker-Nunn network gradually 

 became more and more productive of extremely accurate observations 

 the value of marginal Moonwatch observations became less and less. 

 Consequently, by the middle of 1959 all of the teams were revaluated, 

 and each was assigned a status based on such criteria as its observa- 

 tional record, its potential for valuable contributions to the program, 

 its geographical location, and its organizational and financial stabil- 

 ity. Of the 200 teams, 35 were classified as prime-A ; 10 as prime-B ; 

 2 as special; 81 as standard; and 36 as reserve. By July, 36 other 

 teams were withdrawn from the program. Thus, when the program 

 went under the auspices of the National Aeronautics and Space Ad- 

 ministration on July 1, 1959, there was a total of 164 teams with a 

 membership of approximately 5,000. 



