Alamogordo in Otero County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Minitrack Satellite Tracking System Antenna

Photographed by James Hulse, July 24, 2024

1. Minitrack Satellite Tracking System Antenna Marker

Inscription. Minitrack is short for "Minimum Tracking." Designed and built to track the Vanguard satellite, the Minitrack antenna provided a fan-shaped receiving pattern through which a satellite passed. Signals received from the satellite were converted into measurements which plotted the satellite's orbit. Personnel from the New Mexico State University Physical Science Laboratory designed, calibrated, and installed antennas like this one at fourteen Minitrack sites around the world. The Minitrack network began operation in October 1957.

Length - 50 feet (15.2 meters)
Width - 25 feet (7.6 meters)
Receiving Frequency - 137 MHz

Fun Fact: The Minitrack system installation was completed three days before the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. The system was designed to respond to 108 MHz signals and Sputnik was transmitting at 20 and 40 MHz. Engineers "burned the midnight oil" to modify the network for this different frequency and were tracking Sputnik within 24 hours.

Gift of Col. Leonard Sugerman courtesy of New Mexico State University Physical Science laboratory, Las Cruces, NM-NMMSH 887.025.001

Erected by New Mexico Museum

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

of Space History.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Air & Space. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1957.

Location. 32° 55.243′ N, 105° 55.275′ W. Marker is in Alamogordo, New Mexico, in Otero County. It is on State Route 2001 0.4 miles east of N Scenic Drive. The marker is located on the grounds of the New Mexico Museum of Space History. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3198 State Rte 2001, Alamogordo NM 88310, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in New Mexico’s Pecos Valley. It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Comanchería,

and the Republic of Texas.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: LA 2,000,000 (within shouting distance of this marker); World's First Astrochimp Ham (within shouting distance of this marker); German Air Force Tornado 45+11 (within shouting distance of this marker); X-7A Test Vehicle (within

The Minitrack Satellite Tracking System Antenna and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, July 24, 2024

2. The Minitrack Satellite Tracking System Antenna and Marker

shouting distance of this marker); XQ-4A Drone (within shouting distance of this marker); Apollo Command Module Boilerplate S/N 1207 (within shouting distance of this marker); V-2 Rocket Engine (within shouting distance of this marker); Aerobee 150 (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alamogordo.

Also see . . . Minitrack. Wikipedia

The Minitrack Network was the first U.S. satellite tracking network to become operational, in 1957. It was used to track the flights of Sputnik, Vanguard, Explorer, and other early space efforts. Minitrack was the progenitor of Spacecraft Tracking and Data Acquisition Network (STADAN) and the Manned Space Flight Network (MSFN).

(Submitted on August 9, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Closeup of the Minitrack Satellite Tracking System Antenna image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, July 24, 2024

3. Closeup of the Minitrack Satellite Tracking System Antenna

Credits. This page was last revised on August 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 8, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 325 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 9, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.