GEOS-2 C-band radar system project. Marine study using C-band radars

One of the secondary objectives of the GEOS-2 C-band Systems Project is to study the feasibility of using geodetic satellites to both evaluate shipborne instrumentation and to determine ship positions in broad ocean areas. The purpose of this task is to determine whether shipborne C-band radar tracking, in conjunction with ground based tracking, is sufficiently accurate to provide instrumentation evaluation and ship position estimates. Data from several Apollo tracking ships, in particular the USNS Vanguard, was made available for this effort. A series of tests, using the USNS Vanguard, were carried out in the Port Canaveral and Bahama Acoustic Transponder Array Areas. The major portion of the analyses reported are the result of preliminary investigations using the data from these tests.