New Subscriber

Mouris, Mike (Mike.Mouris@gsc.gte.com)
Tue, 16 Dec 1997 09:49:37 -0500

You requested some info from me as a new subscriber. From 1980 to 1982,
I was a software developer for the ALTAIR radar in Kwajalein, Marshall
Islands.
I was responsible for the satellite database (elsets and observations),
as well as the main software developer for tracking algorithms. I
enjoyed the work so much that it also became my hobby, along with
astronomy, which was my minor in college. In the mid-80s, I got a copy
of a tracking program from Dave Harvey at the Seward Observatory, and
converted the graphics to VGA, as well as adding the SGP4 and SDP4
algorithms. Dave has since converted the program to C (originally
Fortran) and sells it commercially. (we lost contact, so I get no
royalties; besides it's a hobby to me anyway. Also in the mid-80's, I
received the code for Felix Hoot's Hande elsets, which was an attempt by
the Air Force to create a third elset card. I actually got the code to
run (with his sample data) on a DEC VAX11-785, as well as an IBMPC.  The
project was dropped probably because of the impact on all the tracking
radars for software conversion.  In fact, I still have contacts at
ALTAIR and apparently NORAD has told them that the elsets will have 00
for the year and it is up to the radars themselves to update the SGP/SDP
code!!!
Anyway, I am back again playing with my old PC programs, and am
interested in any algorithms (Fortran, and I guess C) to convert
tracking data to elsets. The one that I helped develop for ALTAIR used
range, az, el and time.

Cheers