|
Author
|
Topic: Mercury Mission Control tracking map
|
rwhite502
Member Posts: 29
From: Reading, PA
Registered: Apr 2008
|
posted 01-15-2009 02:46 PM
  
Here is a close-up of the Mercury Control wall map on display at the Kennedy Space Center: Does anyone know what the red and green letters mean that are under the white letters for the different tracking stations? (CTN=Canton Island, HAWaii, Coastal Sentry Quebec, etc). They show the status of the different systems at each tracking station (some stations don't have all 9 letters). I'm guessing red means offline, green is online? Here's the other stations:  TM=Telemetry? Double-T for Teletype perhaps? |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1332
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
|
posted 01-15-2009 03:09 PM
Yes your right. This isn't the map at MCC but one of the other tracking stations. Retro-Fire is normally initiated in the orange circle on the left side. Splashdown is above the 4 on the right side, for a three-orbit mission. |
rwhite502
Member Posts: 29
From: Reading, PA
Registered: Apr 2008
|
posted 01-15-2009 03:33 PM
These pictures are from the display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. I'm just curious what all the red and green letters mean. |
mercsim
Member Posts: 219
From: Phoenix, AZ
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 01-22-2011 10:12 PM
The characters represented a status between that station and the capsule. Reading like a book from top left, Command Control, Telemetry reception, Capsule Communications(air-to-ground), Radar, Reporting, Acquisition Aid, Ground Communications(Voice), Ground Telemetry. The stations are fairly well published but it took a little digging to interpret the status symbols. (source: This New Ocean). An operator sat at a console (Network Status) and controlled the lights with a switchboard. |
rwhite502
Member Posts: 29
From: Reading, PA
Registered: Apr 2008
|
posted 01-23-2011 08:35 AM
Thanks for the reply!I have "This New Ocean," but must have missed that description - time to re-read.
|
mercsim
Member Posts: 219
From: Phoenix, AZ
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 01-23-2011 09:55 AM
The information is actually in a table in Appendix G: "Ground Instrumentation Plan for Project Mercury." I found another slightly different version somewhere else. I can't remember the source but I have the table printed out in one of my nerdy reference notebooks. With a little detective work, I was able to piece the puzzle together. I have a special interest in the original control center so it has actually been an ongoing project for me... |
Ponyhorton
New Member Posts: 9
From: California
Registered: Sep 2018
|
posted 10-05-2018 11:49 AM
Can anyone tell me how to interpret some of the things on the old Mercury Mission Control map?What do those tiny lit-up circles over South America with a letter (A thru H) in each one mean? And why were those South America numerals not included on the rebuilt map? What do the letters next to the orbital tracks refer-to? The numbers are obvious, but not the letters. What are the ovals for at certain points on the tracks? Finally, the orbit tracks themselves... are they some kind of tape or dry erase paint applied to the map? They appear to cover some of the grid lines and tracking circles.  
Editor's note: Threads merged. |
advertisement