Applications of GPS on Meteorological Rocket Telemetry and Tracking

A new tracking system composed of GPS global positioning system, antenna cloud platform and wide lobe antenna has been introduced. In traditional tracking systems, there is a time difference between the tracked position information and received position information, and the antenna cloud platform needs an inversion of 359° when it rotates to the phrase point. Besides these problems, traditional tracking systems may lose the target because of the theoretical trajectory error, and after the separation of meteorological rocket sonde, how to track it before the first positioning is also a problem that needs to be figured out. This new tracking system has solved all problems stated above as well as how to keep tracking the target after losing it, and has successfully performed the telemetry tracking of meteorological rocket sonde in the Meridian Project. Attributing to its small size, portability, easy operation, low cost, and favorable maneuverability and reliability, the new system has many advantages comparing with the traditional radar tracking mode.