I Can't Get Over It

I can't get over it. Standing in the pouring rain, with layer upon layer of clothing to keep us warm and dry (underneath it all), we stared at the little TV-like screen; hoping for the slightest blip.

We spent the morning setting up. We tweaked, tuned, and configured. All of our efforts leading up to the big event. Finally we were ready.

The command was given and the 8-foot dish antenna rose majestically, first from its horizontal storage position on top of the vehicle, to its vertical fully deployed position. No sooner than the coordinates were entered into the laptop, it rotated and moved both horizontally and vertically into place.

Suddenly, without fanfare, it appeared. A small blip at first, but as we adjusted the dial and pressed the right buttons, the tiny blip grew into a beautiful arch--satellite acquired.

I will never get over the amazement I get at acquiring a satellite in space from a relatively small dish antenna on top of a vehicle. Imagine bouncing a radio frequency signal off of a communication satellite in geostationary orbit approximately 22,223 miles from earth. Of the 800 operational satellites in space, our equipment can find the right one, lock onto its signal, and communicate with it. Don't you find that amazing too?

I read that about 8000 objects, "space junk", are tracked in space, and yet, most of us cannot even find our car keys. I can't get over it...