{"id":1451,"date":"2011-11-04T18:01:02","date_gmt":"2011-11-04T18:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/?p=1451"},"modified":"2014-05-29T13:23:40","modified_gmt":"2014-05-29T13:23:40","slug":"baker-nunn-for-u-s-airforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/?p=1451","title":{"rendered":"Three Air Force Baker Nunn Satellite Tracking Cameras"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The Air Force Baker Nunn Satellite Tracking Cameras were similar to the Smithsonian Satellite Tracking Cameras.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Baker.Nunn_.-time.elements.Norman.Clock_.Green_.Bay_.WI_.300dpi.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-2322\" title=\"Baker.Nunn_.-time.elements.Norman.Clock_.Green_.Bay_.WI_.300dpi\" src=\"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Baker.Nunn_.-time.elements.Norman.Clock_.Green_.Bay_.WI_.300dpi-1024x790.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"614\" height=\"474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Baker.Nunn_.-time.elements.Norman.Clock_.Green_.Bay_.WI_.300dpi-1024x790.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Baker.Nunn_.-time.elements.Norman.Clock_.Green_.Bay_.WI_.300dpi-300x231.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Baker.Nunn_.-time.elements.Norman.Clock_.Green_.Bay_.WI_.300dpi-642x495.jpg 642w, https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/Baker.Nunn_.-time.elements.Norman.Clock_.Green_.Bay_.WI_.300dpi-978x754.jpg 978w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px\" \/><\/a>This is the first of three Air Force Baker-Nunn Cameras.<br \/>\nOn the left is a Standard Time clock built by Norman Clock Co, Green Bay, Wisconsin<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The Baker Nunn Cameras are designed to have a triangular base.\u00a0 Mounted on the base is a Fork rotating 360 degrees. A Gimbal Ring is mounted to the Fork tines ends that will rotate plus or minus 80 degrees in elevation.<br \/>\nMounted on the center of the Gimbal Ring is the Optical Camera assembly.<br \/>\nThe Optical Camera assembly can be motor driven plus or minus 70 degrees in a 2nd elevation axis that is 90 degree to the 1st elevation axis.<br \/>\nThe total moving mount is balanced such the it can be positioned to track across any satellite angular direction in the sky<\/p>\n<p>Both the Azimuth and Elevation rotations are electrically motor-driven.<\/p>\n<p>The satellite camera can be operated in a standard Alta\/Azimuth mount.<br \/>\nAn alternate condition where the camera mount base rear support can be raised up with a ball screw jack.<br \/>\nThis allowed its azimuth axis to be tilted to a polar axis angle where its North\/South location is to located on its final installation.<br \/>\nAn adjustable tubular column is installed to lock the mount in this angular position.<br \/>\nThis angular position allows the camera to place a celestial background photo of stars when a satellite photo was taken.<br \/>\nBoth the Azimuth and Elevation rotations are electrically motor-driven.<br \/>\nThe satellite camera can be operated in a standard Alta\/Azimuth mount.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Mounted on the center of the gimbal ring is the optical camera assembly.<br \/>\nThe optical camera assembly can be motor driven plus or minus 70 degrees in a 2<sup>nd<\/sup> elevation axis that is 90 degree to the 1<sup>st<\/sup> elevation axis.<br \/>\nThe total moving mount is balanced such the it can be positioned to track across any angular direction in the sky<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Optical Configuration<\/strong><br \/>\nThe Baker Nunn Satellite Tracking Cameras consists of a three-element 20-inch entrance aperture corrector lens system.<br \/>\nThe corrected image is projected down to a 31-inch f\/1 spherical primary mirror.<br \/>\nThe focusing converging image is then reflected back up to an optical shaped focusing surfaced back-up plate where the film exposure are made.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Mechanical Operation<\/strong><br \/>\nFor a satellite photo run with the Baker Nunn camera the following operations occur.<br \/>\nThe Satellite Tracking Cameras consists a continuous 35-mm length of film coming from a supply canister.<br \/>\nThe film is stopped for an exposure at the center of the film bridge and is then stretched over the optical shaped surface on a backup plate. The stretching of the film will place the emulsion surface of the film in focus over the total width and length of the films exposure.<br \/>\nThe film is then transported out to a take-up canister stopping with its trailing length ready for the next exposure.<\/p>\n<p>Continuously, a pair of rotating shutter blades is passing around the film bridge, which will create clear stripes in the exposed image trail of the traveling satellite photo.<br \/>\nContinuously, another complete shutter is opening and closing, is blocking unwanted exposure during the film transport.<\/p>\n<p>A selectable speed worm and gear drive will drive the camera assembly tracking a satellite passing overhead.<\/p>\n<p>Selectable transporting speeds can be implemented for tracking different satellite transit speeds.<\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously an International time signal clock from the Norman Clock Co, Green Bay, Wisconsin is located at each Baker Nunn Satellite Tracking station.<br \/>\nA time signal will be projected on the end of each exposure of the film.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Air Force Baker Nunn Satellite Tracking Cameras were similar to the Smithsonian Satellite Tracking Cameras. This is the first of three Air Force Baker-Nunn Cameras. On the left is a Standard Time clock built by Norman Clock Co, Green Bay, Wisconsin The Baker Nunn Cameras are designed to have a triangular base.\u00a0 Mounted on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bakernunn"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1451"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2629,"href":"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451\/revisions\/2629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bollerandchivens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}