The Final Orbit

Dedication      v

Table of Contents          vi

Acknowledgements      x

Sponsors of This Book  xi

Preface            xiii

Introduction   1

Chapter One - Orroral Beginnings              5

Chapter Two - Orroral Prepares for Manned Space Flight Tracking –  The New and Upgraded Equipment.               23

Chapter Three - Training for ASTP -  APOLLO-SOYUZ Test Project      33

Chapter Four - The APOLLO - SOYUZ Flight              39

Chapter Five - New Equipment for the Space Shuttle            55

Chapter Six - Training for the Space Shuttle             63

Chapter Seven - The Space Shuttle            67

Chapter Eight - Tracking the Space Shuttle              69

Chapter Nine - The Amateur Radio Experiment      87

Chapter Ten - The Final Orbit      97

Photo and Graphic Credits          105

Image Credits:                105

About the Author          110

Other Books by Philip Clark         111

Bibliography   112

Acronyms and Abbreviations      114

APPENDICES    118

Appendix 1 - Station Closure Documents 119

Appendix 2 - Staff Changes          124

Appendix 3 - Employment Contract 1965 132

Appendix 4 - A brief outline of how spacecraft radio signals were received at Orroral tracking station.    135

Appendix 5 - Equipment setup and local tracking schedules               136

Appendix 6 - Transcript of Voice Communications During a H-45 (Horizon minus 45 Minute) Sequence at Orroral Valley Tracking Station.   140

Appendix 7 - Full text of all voice communications recorded by the author during the first orbital flight of the Space Shuttle.                166