Organization | National Research Foundation |
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Location | Gauteng, Krugersdorp, South Africa |
Coordinates | 25°53′25″S27°41′08″E / 25.89037°S 27.68558°ECoordinates: 25°53′25″S27°41′08″E / 25.89037°S 27.68558°E |
Established | 1961 |
Website | www.hartrao.ac.za |
Telescopes | HartRAO 26m Radio Telescope MeerKAT prototype dish |
Location of Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory | |
Related media on Wikimedia Commons |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory. |
Beacon Function | Band | Notes |
Early Russian tracking and telemetry | HF | eg 20.005 MHz |
Early USA tracking and telemetry | VHF | eg 108 / 136 MHz |
Geosat tracking and telemetry | Ku / Ka bands | eg 14/26 GHz |
Deep Space tracking and telemetry | S / X bands | eg 2 / 8 GHz |
Ionospheric studies | VHF / UHF | GPS now commonly used |
Tropospheric studies (rain attenuation) | Ku / Ka bands | 14 / 26 GHz |
Navigation | L - band | eg GNSS / GPS |
Optical | Visible light | Mostly experimental |
Left: Ka band beacon receiver developed at James Cook University. Above: Rain fade detected by the receiver. (Images after Kikkert & Kenny JCU) |