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Tracking Ship
A tracking ship, also called a missile range instrumentation ship or range ship, is a ship equipped with antennas and electronics to support the launching and tracking of missiles and rockets. Since many missile ranges launch over ocean areas for safety reasons, range ships are used to extend the range of shore-based tracking facilities. In the United States, the initial tracking ships were constructed by the U.S. Army and then the U.S. Air Force to support their missile programs. They were generally built on a surplus Liberty ship or Victory ship hull. By 1964, the U.S. Navy took over all the range ships and introduced more. In some Navies, such a ship is also given the Type Designation "Vigilship" or "Veladora", with the Designation Letter "V" or Letters "VC". Missile range instrumentation ships Chinese PLA Strategic Support Force The Chinese ships were purpose built vessels for their role in the navy and the space program. * Yuanwang class ** ''Yuanwang 1'', 1977 – pres ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yuan Wang Class Tracking Ship
The Yuan Wang-class of tracking ships () are used for tracking and support of satellite and intercontinental ballistic missiles by the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It is important to note that the class is not a single class of identical design, but instead, a group of different designs grouped under the same series that share the same name. Detailed specifications for every ship have not been released by the PLASSF. ''Yuan Wang 1'' and ''Yuan Wang 2'' are thought to have a displacement tonnage of around 21,000 tons when fully loaded, with a crew of about 470 and a length of about . Their propulsion is from one Sulzer Ltd. diesel engine, with a top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h). The class was first proposed by Premier Zhou Enlai in 1965, and the idea was personally approved by Mao Zedong in 1968. The first two ships of the class, ''Yuan Wang 1'' and ''Yuan Wang 2'', were built at the Jiangnan S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
USNS Range Sentinel T-AGM-22 DNSC8510327
United States Naval Ship (USNS) is the prefix designation given to non- commissioned ships that are property of the United States Navy (USN). Definition United States Naval Ships are unarmed auxiliary support vessels owned by the U.S. Navy and operated in non-commissioned service by Military Sealift Command with a civilian crew. Some ships include a small military complement to carry out communication and special mission functions, or for force protection. In comparison, U.S. Navy ships commissioned into service have the designation " USS" and are armed, crewed by U.S. Navy personnel, and held in property by the United States Government. Additionally, the United States Naval Ships hull classification symbol begins with "T-" to denote its civilian crew. The USNS prefix can be assigned only while the ship is owned by the U.S. Navy. If, after being taken out of service, the ship is transferred to the Maritime Administration the prefix reverts to a civilian ship prefix such ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
INS Dhruv
INS Dhruv (A40) is a research vessel and missile range instrumentation ship built by India's Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL). The ship was earlier only known by its shipyard designated yard number as VC-11184. The ship can gather electronic intelligence and will be used to track missile and satellites to aid India's strategic weapons and anti-ballistic missiles. It will be jointly operated by National Technical Research Organisation, Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Indian Navy. The development span of ships has remained largely secretive with little information in public domain. The ship had reportedly started sea trials in early 2019, and had entered service in October 2020 without a public commissioning ceremony. The ship was officially commissioned on 10 September 2021 at Visakhapatnam in the presence of senior officials from the Indian Navy, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
USNS Range Recoverer (T-AGM-2)
USNS ''Range Recoverer'' (T-AG-161/T-AGM-2/YFRT-524) was a missile range instrumentation ship responsible for providing radar and/or telemetry track data on missiles launched from American launch sites. She was built during World War II as U.S. Army U.S. Army ''FS-278'', and was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1960 as miscellaneous auxiliary and was converted into a missile tracking ship. She continued her missile tracking until being placed out of service in 1972, at which time she was reclassified range tender ''YFRT-524'', and eventually sold for scrap in 1974. However, she avoided the scrapyards and served as a fishing vessel until at least 2016. U.S. Army ''FS-278'' was built for the Army in 1944, by the Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp., Whitestone, New York. ''FS-278'' was a Coast Guard-crewed Army vessel commissioned at New York on 25 November 1944 departing New York on 17 December 1944, for the Southwest Pacific where she operated at Peleliu, Palawan, etc. during the war. Command ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
USNS Range Tracker (T-AGM-1)
USNS ''Range Tracker'' (T-AGM-1/T-AG-160) was an Air Force Systems Command ''Range Tracker''-class missile range instrumentation ship. She was acquired from the National Defense Reserve Fleet in the 1950s and converted into a missile range tracking ship with a civilian crew. She performed tracking duties from 1961 through 1969 on the Western Launch and Test Range. Built in Portland, Oregon The SS ''Skidmore Victory'' (VC2-S-AP3) was laid down 6 April 1945 by Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation as a Victory ship (VC2). She was named for Skidmore College, a liberal arts college in Saratoga Springs, New York. She was launched 19 May 1945 and sponsored by Mrs. Harry C. Bates. ''Skidmore Victory'' (MCV hull 685) was delivered to Northland Transportation Company on 18 June 1945. Victory ships were a class of cargo ship produced in large numbers by American shipyards during World War II to replace losses caused by German submarines. They were slightly larger, more modern design when com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), to give the U.S. space development effort a distinctly civilian orientation, emphasizing peaceful applications in space science. NASA has since led most American space exploration, including Project Mercury, Project Gemini, the 1968-1972 Apollo Moon landing missions, the Skylab space station, and the Space Shuttle. NASA supports the International Space Station and oversees the development of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System for the crewed lunar Artemis program, Commercial Crew spacecraft, and the planned Lunar Gateway space station. The agency is also responsible for the Launch Services Program, which provides oversight of launch operations and countdown management f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
USNS Observation Island (T-AGM-23)
USNS ''Observation Island'' (T-AGM-23) was built as the Mariner-class merchant ship ''Empire State Mariner'' for the United States Maritime Commission, launched 15 August 1953, and operated by United States Lines upon delivery on 24 February 1954, making voyages for the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) until going into reserve at Mobile, Alabama on 9 November 1954. Title was transferred to the United States Navy on 10 September 1956 and, after conversion, the ship was renamed ''Observation Island''. On commissioning the ship was classified as the "experimental miscellaneous auxiliary" (EAG), USS ''Observation Island'' (EAG-154) supporting fleet ballistic missile development. ''Observation Island'' was the platform for the first at-sea firing of the Polaris missile in 1959. On 1 April 1968 ''Observation Island'' was redesignated as a miscellaneous auxiliary USS ''Observation Island'' (AG-154). She was the platform for first at-sea firing of the Poseidon missile in 1969.A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
USNS Timber Hitch 1962
United States Naval Ship (USNS) is the prefix designation given to non- commissioned ships that are property of the United States Navy (USN). Definition United States Naval Ships are unarmed auxiliary support vessels owned by the U.S. Navy and operated in non-commissioned service by Military Sealift Command with a civilian crew. Some ships include a small military complement to carry out communication and special mission functions, or for force protection. In comparison, U.S. Navy ships commissioned into service have the designation " USS" and are armed, crewed by U.S. Navy personnel, and held in property by the United States Government. Additionally, the United States Naval Ships hull classification symbol begins with "T-" to denote its civilian crew. The USNS prefix can be assigned only while the ship is owned by the U.S. Navy. If, after being taken out of service, the ship is transferred to the Maritime Administration the prefix reverts to a civilian ship prefix such as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
USNS Vanguard
SS ''Mission San Fernando'' was a Type T2-SE-A2 tanker built for the United States Maritime Commission during World War II. After the war she was acquired by the United States Navy as USS ''Mission San Fernando'' (AO-122). Later the tanker transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service as USNS ''Mission San Fernando'' (T-AO-122). She was a member of the and was named for Mission San Fernando Rey de España in Los Angeles. She was later renamed USNS ''Muscle Shoals'' (T-AGM-19) (after Muscle Shoals, Alabama), and, later, USNS ''Vanguard'' (T-AG-194). Service history As oiler, 1943–1957 ''Mission San Fernando'' was laid down on 26 August 1943 under a Maritime Commission contract by Marine Ship Corporation, Sausalito, California; launched on 25 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Ruth B. Krohn; and delivered on 29 February 1944. Chartered to Pacific Tankers Inc., for operations, she served the remainder of the War carrying fuel to Allied forces in the western Pacific ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SSV-33 Ural
''SSV-33 Ural'' (''ССВ-33 Урал''; NATO reporting name: Kapusta, Russian for " cabbage") was a command and control naval ship operated by the Soviet Navy. ''SSV-33''s hull was derived from that of the nuclear powered s with nuclear marine propulsion. ''SSV-33'' served in electronic intelligence, missile tracking, space tracking, and communications relay roles. Due to high operating costs, ''SSV-33'' was laid up in 1989. The onboard radio reconnaissance system was called "Coral"; this involved two computer types: " Elbrus" and several " EC-1046" computers. ''SSV-33'' carried only light defensive weapons. These were two AK-176 76 mm guns, four AK-630 30 mm guns, and four quadruple Igla missile mounts. ''SSV-33'' was assigned to the Pacific Fleet, but there was no pier large enough for the ship. She was forced to anchor out. Machinery had to remain running while at anchor to support other systems and its crew; the ship became a floating barracks. She never went ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kosmonavt Yuri Gagarin
''Kosmonavt Yuriy Gagarin'' (russian: «Космона́вт Ю́рий Гага́рин») was a Soviet space control-monitoring ship or Vigilship (Veladora) that was devoted to detecting and receiving satellite communications. Named after cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the ship was completed in December 1971 to support the Soviet space program. The ship also conducted upper atmosphere and outer space research.Norman Polmar, Siegfried Breyer, ''Guide to the Soviet Navy'', Third Edition (1984), United States Naval Institute, Annapolis Maryland, It had very distinguishable looks due to two extremely large and two smaller parabolic "dish" antennas placed on top of the hull. In 1986, ''Kosmonavt Yuriy Gagarin'' was the world's largest communications ship and was the flagship of a fleet of communications ships. These ships greatly extended the tracking range when the orbits of cosmonauts and unmanned missions were not over the USSR.''Tracking sites and ships''Komsmonavtka Website Retrieve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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