Milestone-Proposal:Project Echo
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Docket #:2023-06
This proposal has been submitted for review.
To the proposer’s knowledge, is this achievement subject to litigation? No
Is the achievement you are proposing more than 25 years old? Yes
Is the achievement you are proposing within IEEE’s designated fields as defined by IEEE Bylaw I-104.11, namely: Engineering, Computer Sciences and Information Technology, Physical Sciences, Biological and Medical Sciences, Mathematics, Technical Communications, Education, Management, and Law and Policy. Yes
Did the achievement provide a meaningful benefit for humanity? Yes
Was it of at least regional importance? Yes
Has an IEEE Organizational Unit agreed to pay for the milestone plaque(s)? Yes
Has an IEEE Organizational Unit agreed to arrange the dedication ceremony? Yes
Has the IEEE Section in which the milestone is located agreed to take responsibility for the plaque after it is dedicated? Yes
Has the owner of the site agreed to have it designated as an IEEE Milestone? Yes
Year or range of years in which the achievement occurred:
1959-1965
Title of the proposed milestone:
Project Echo, Telstar, and Discovery of Cosmic Background Radiation, 1959-1965
Plaque citation summarizing the achievement and its significance:
In 1959-1960, NASA and AT&T developed a satellite Earth station in Holmdel, NJ, including a novel tracking horn-reflector antenna, maser preamplifier, and FM demodulator. The Earth station demonstrated the first high-quality long-distance voice circuit via the Echo passive communication satellite in 1960-1961, and via the active Telstar communications satellite in 1962-1963. Experiments conducted in 1964-1965 provided the first indication of the cosmic background radiation associated with the Big Bang.
200-250 word abstract describing the significance of the technical achievement being proposed, the person(s) involved, historical context, humanitarian and social impact, as well as any possible controversies the advocate might need to review.
There is no single event more transformative in the second half of the twentieth century than the discovery of the cosmic background radiation, verifying the Big Bang Theory, which described the formation of the Universe. Behind that discovery is a unique horn-antenna constructed on Crawford Hill at Holmdel New Jersey.
The sophisticated functionality of the Horn Antenna was designed and developed in phases by both commercial and US government entities, resulting in a sensitive antenna capable of detecting cosmic background radiation, which was interpreted as the signature of the Big Bang. First Project Echo (1959-1961) constructed a long-distance wireless communication system which included a novel tracking horn-reflector antenna, a maser preamplifier, and an FM (Frequency Modulated) demodulator. This low noise receiver was the first to provide a high-quality long distance voice circuit via the Echo 1 passive satellite.
The system capabilities were later expanded (1962-1963) with transmissions to the Telstar active satellite made possible by the invention of the solar cell. Further experiments (1964) led to the discovery of the cosmic background radiation, verifying the Big Bang Theory which describes the formation of the Universe.
These discoveries mentioned and directly connected with the unique antenna represent the intersection and advancement of several scientific, engineering, computational, philosophical, and cultural fields of study critically important for all of humanity. On this site, and through this Milestone, we recognize the advancement of all those fundamental constructs of our worldview.
With the placement of this IEEE Milestone at the AT&T Labs Science & Technology Innovation Center and Museum, we will find a secure dignified location. The facility was designed, developed, documented by expert professional Historians, and is staffed with expert Docents who are themselves accomplished Researchers. Many of them have worked with the Horn Antenna, and or with people who built or used the Horn Antenna for their work.
The AT&T Labs Science & Technology Innovation Center and Museum location is filled with treasures: artifacts, demonstrators, and history. There are other IEEE Milestones at the location. Displays and interactive media represent the milestones and researchers who participated in the antenna and related systems design, development, operation, interpretation, and sharing the revolutionary discoveries that shaped our modern world of satellite, space communications, our understanding of ourselves, and the Big Bang Theory origins of the Universe in which we live.
The current location of the Horn Antenna is involved in a real estate transaction; the property must be renovated and again opened to the public. When the property is publicly accessible, then another plaque may be placed at that location at the expense of those who wish to place the plaque. In addition, the Town of Holmdel, New Jersey will own the property and the Horn Antenna. It might be desirable to place another plaque at one or more of the town facilities such as Town Hall, at the expense of those who wish to place a plaque. If another Labs location such as NOKIA will be another location for a plaque, then it will be at the expense of those who will place the plaque.
There is interest in developing a tour site, education center, and more to include the Horn Antenna site and also by virtual connection to focus on topics related to the Milestone, for example, radio astronomy, communication, science, programming, engineering, women who programmed at Bell Labs and Langley for example, and more.
IEEE technical societies and technical councils within whose fields of interest the Milestone proposal resides.
Communications, Antenna Propagation.
In what IEEE section(s) does it reside?
New Jersey Coast Section
IEEE Organizational Unit(s) which have agreed to sponsor the Milestone:
IEEE Organizational Unit(s) paying for milestone plaque(s):
Unit: New Jersey Coast Section
Senior Officer Name: Filomena Citarella
IEEE Organizational Unit(s) arranging the dedication ceremony:
Unit: New Jersey Coast Section
Senior Officer Name: Filomena Citarella
IEEE section(s) monitoring the plaque(s):
IEEE Section: New Jersey Coast Section
IEEE Section Chair name: Filomena Citarella
Milestone proposer(s):
Proposer name: Katherine Grace August, PhD
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public
Proposer name: Thomas M Willis, III PhD
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public
Proposer name: Curtis Siller
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public
Proposer name: Giovanni Vannucci, PhD
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public
Proposer name: Gregory Wright, PhD
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public
Proposer name: Mathini Sellathurai, PhD
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public
Proposer name: Theodore Sizer, II PhD
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public
Proposer name: Bala Prasanna
Proposer email: Proposer's email masked to public
Please note: your email address and contact information will be masked on the website for privacy reasons. Only IEEE History Center Staff will be able to view the email address.
Street address(es) and GPS coordinates in decimal form of the intended milestone plaque site(s):
200 S Laurel Ave., Middletown, NJ 07748 USA; 40.396997, -74.136003
Describe briefly the intended site(s) of the milestone plaque(s). The intended site(s) must have a direct connection with the achievement (e.g. where developed, invented, tested, demonstrated, installed, or operated, etc.). A museum where a device or example of the technology is displayed, or the university where the inventor studied, are not, in themselves, sufficient connection for a milestone plaque.
Please give the address(es) of the plaque site(s) (GPS coordinates if you have them). Also please give the details of the mounting, i.e. on the outside of the building, in the ground floor entrance hall, on a plinth on the grounds, etc. If visitors to the plaque site will need to go through security, or make an appointment, please give the contact information visitors will need. In the Museum lobby of the AT&T Labs Science & Technology Center, which is about 4 miles from Crawford Hill in Holmdel, NJ.
Are the original buildings extant?
No, but the Horn Antenna still exists.
Details of the plaque mounting:
In the Museum lobby near the 2 IEEE Milestone plaques for the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) and the Trans-Atlantic Telephone Fiber-Optic Submarine Cable (TAT-8).
How is the site protected/secured, and in what ways is it accessible to the public?
The Museum is publicly accessible, and has a security staff.
Who is the present owner of the site(s)?
AT&T Labs
What is the historical significance of the work (its technological, scientific, or social importance)? If personal names are included in citation, include justification here. (see section 6 of Milestone Guidelines)
Introduction
There is no single event more transformative in the second half of the twentieth century than the discovery of the cosmic background radiation. This verified the Big Bang Theory, which described the formation of the Universe. Behind that discovery is the unique Horn Antenna, which was constructed on Crawford Hill in Holmdel, New Jersey.
The Horn Antenna’s sophisticated functionality was designed and developed in phases by both commercial and US government entities, resulting in a sensitive antenna capable of detecting cosmic background radiation which was interpreted as the signature of the Big Bang.
Project Echo (1959-1961) constructed a long-distance wireless communication system which included a novel tracking horn-reflector antenna, a maser preamplifier, and an FM (Frequency Modulated) demodulator. This low noise receiver was the first to provide a high-quality long distance voice circuit via the Echo 1 passive satellite.
The system capabilities were later expanded (1962-1963) with transmissions to the Telstar active satellite, made possible by the invention of the solar cell. Further experiments (1964) led to the discovery of cosmic background radiation, verifying the Big Bang Theory which describes the formation of the Universe.
These discoveries, which were made possible by way of the unique horn-reflector antenna, represent the intersection and advancement of several scientific, engineering, computational, philosophical, and cultural fields of study that are critically important for all of humanity.
The Need for Non-Terrestrial Communications
During the mid-twentieth century, there were ongoing political conditions motivating significant government investments in high quality non-terrestrial communication for resilience and sustainability. Terrestrial communications were limited at the time, and were vulnerable to natural and man-made disruptions. The Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik I escalated urgency for a program. A series of major programs was initiated by government and commercial laboratories, including Bell Telephone Laboratories at Holmdel, New Jersey.
One outcome was the unique Horn Antenna which was part of Project Echo, and Telstar’s proof of concept for satellite communication. Such non-terrestrial communication was seen as important for resilience in the event of terrestrial disturbances, including but not limited to natural disasters, conflict, and terrorism.
In the years since Project Echo and Telstar, there have been many satellite innovations including global information services (GIS), intercontinental communications, connections to ships at sea, rural communications, and connecting the unconnected. There is also the humanitarian importance of closing the connectivity gap by providing satellite connections for intelligence, to address climate change, to assist in areas of conflict, earthquakes and hurricanes, and for applications such as telehealth during the COVID-19 global pandemic emergency. As such, non-terrestrial communication is essential for advancing technology for humanity.
Early Satellite Communication
Bell Telephone Laboratories’ interest in the possibility of using artificial earth satellites for communication purposes was shown in 1955 when J.R. Pierce published “Orbital Radio Relays,” and much of the necessary research for this predated this publication. Intermittent research led to a better understanding of sky noise temperature v. frequency and elevation angle. This was vital to the choice of frequencies for space communication, and the realization that these very low effective sky noise temperatures existed revealed the possibility of utilizing properties of masers and low-noise antennas.
Most earlier work on antennas had been directed toward producing high area efficiency in terms of the gain or directivity of the antenna, properties which are unrelated to noise properties. The horn-reflector antenna developed for terrestrial microwave relay systems had a receiver with an effective noise temperature of only one or two degrees Kelvin. Microwave maser amplifiers with noise temperature two to three orders of magnitude lower than previously existing amplifiers were the result of many years of research.
NASA’s Project Echo
“NASA's Project Echo was undertaken as a first active step in this program, and it was hoped that the following objectives would be achieved:
i. To demonstrate two-way voice communication between the east and west coasts.
ii. To study the propagation properties of the medium, including the effects of the atmosphere, the ionosphere, and the balloon.
iii. To determine the usefulness of various kinds of satellite tracking procedures.
iv. To determine the usefulness of a passive communications satellite of the Echo I type.
It was anticipated that these objectives would be achieved primarily by conducting operations with the balloon launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the satellite-tracking facility of the Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL) located at Goldstone, California, about one hundred miles northeast of Los Angeles. The Bell Telephone Laboratories (BTL) station is located at Holmdel, New Jersey. In addition, tests were planned in cooperation with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) facility at Stump Neck, Maryland; General Electric, Schenectady, New York; and stations in Europe.”
In the Reading list of Bell Systems Technical Journal papers, the mechanical features of the horn-reflector antenna are described. The antenna was used for receiving signals reflected from the Project Echo balloon satellite. The papers also present detailed electrical characteristics (radiation and gain) measured at a frequency of 2390 mc. Theoretically-derived characteristics which agree very well with the measurements are also presented; details of the calculations are also given. [Ref 2]
Unique Features of a Horn-Reflector Type of Antenna
“The horn-reflector type of antenna was originated at Bell Telephone Laboratories, Holmdel, New Jersey, in the early 1940's [Ref 3] and is now in extensive use in the Bell System's transcontinental microwave relay network. [Ref 4] It is a combination of a square electromagnetic horn and a reflector that is a sector of a paraboloid of revolution, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The apex of the horn coincides with the focus of the paraboloid. Since the antenna design is based on geometrical optics and has no frequency-sensitive elements, it is extremely broadband; it is not polarization-sensitive and can be used in any linear or circular polarization. The antenna is essentially an offset paraboloidal antenna, so that very little of the energy incident on the reflector is reflected back into the feed to produce an impedance mismatch. Due to the shielding effect of the horn, the far side and back lobes are very small.
“These features, together with high aperture efficiency, make the horn reflector attractive for use in satellite communication systems. In particular, the low side and back lobes insure that when the antenna beam is pointed to the sky very little noise power is received from the ground;[Ref 5] the antenna is thus a low-noise transducer which permits exploitation of the low-noise features of the maser amplifier. An effective noise temperature of about 2°K has been measured for the horn-reflector type of antenna. [Ref 6]
Mechanical Description of the Antenna
“Fig. 2 is a photograph of the horn-reflector antenna erected on the Crawford Hill site of the Holmdel Laboratory and used in the Project Echo experiment. To permit the antenna beam to be directed to any part of the sky, the antenna is mounted with the axis of the horn horizontal.
“Rotation about this axis affords tracking in elevation while the entire assembly is rotated about a vertical axis for tracking in azimuth. The antenna is about 50 feet in length, the radiating aperture is approximately 20 by 20 feet, and the weight is about 18 tons. The structure was designed to survive winds of 100 miles per hour. The elevation structure, both horn and reflector, is constructed of aluminum. The elevation wheel, 30 feet in diameter, supports all radial loads and rotates on rollers mounted on the base frame. All axial or thrust loads are taken by a large ball bearing at the apex end of the horn. The horn proper continues through this bearing into the equipment cab. Here is located a tapered transition section from square to round waveguide, a rotating joint, and waveguide take-offs which provide for the simultaneous reception of either two orthogonal linearly polarized signals or two circularly polarized signals of opposite sense. The ability to locate the receiver equipment at the apex of the horn, thus eliminating the loss and noise contribution of a connecting line, is an important feature of this antenna.
“The triangular base frame is constructed of structural steel shapes. It rotates on wheels about a center pintle ball bearing on a track 30 feet in diameter. The track consists of stress-relieved, planed steel plates which were individually adjusted to produce a track flat to about 1/64 inch. The faces of the wheels are cone-shaped to minimize sliding friction. A tangential force of about 100 pounds is sufficient to start the antenna in motion.
“The horn flares at an angle of 28°. As can be seen in Fig. 1, the antenna is generated by swinging the side projection through this angle. Thus the two sides of the horn are flat surfaces, while the front and back surfaces are sections of cones. There are several advantages to this type of construction: right-angle sections can be used for the corners of the horn; the reflector can be constructed of identical longitudinal sections; the intersections of the front and back conical surfaces with the paraboloid of revolution are circles in planes perpendicular to the axis of the paraboloid, thus providing accurate and readily available references for use in constructing the reflector. Nine accurately fabricated parabolic ribs were used for the reflector, one end of each being fastened to a curved (arc of a circle) beam at the wheel while the other end was fixed on a circle scribed on a temporary horizontal work table. The ribs were tied together by cross bracing and by a large triangular crossbeam, which in turn was tied by columns to the vertical wheel. The aluminum sheets that make up the reflecting surface were then fastened to the ribs; these have curved stiffeners to produce the small curvature required in the plane perpendicular to the ribs. It is believed that the reflector surface is accurately paraboloidal to 1/32 inch.
“The antenna is driven in azimuth and elevation by 10 H.P. direct current servo gear-motors. Power is transmitted by sprockets (with teeth specially cut for rack operation) to roller chains which are fastened to the vertical wheel and to the plates forming the horizontal track. The roller chain proved to be a satisfactory substitute for a large bull gear; by the use of a radial arm and dial indicator, the rollers of the chains were adjusted to lie on 30-foot-diameter circles to an accuracy of about 0.005 inch. The maximum speed of rotation in both azimuth and elevation is 5° per second; the maximum acceleration for both axes is 5° per second per second. Power for the drives is brought to the rotating structure through a slip-ring assembly inside the small plywood house located over the center bearing (Fig. 2). All the electrical circuits needed for the operation of the antenna and the receiving equipment in the cab come through the slip-ring assembly. Positional information for the antenna is derived from data units driven by large (48-inch) accurately cut and accurately aligned gears located on the bearings at the apex of the horn and at the center of the base frame. The data units contain synchro transmitters and control transformers operated in a two-speed, 1:1 and 36:1, system.
“With the exception of the steel base frame, which was fabricated by a local steel company, the antenna was constructed and assembled by the Holmdel Laboratory shops under the direction of H. W. Anderson, who also collaborated in the design. Assistance in the design was also given by R. O'Regan, S. A. Darby and several members of the electro-mechanical development group at the Whippany Laboratory. The latter group also was instrumental in procuring special equipment such as data units, gears, and slip-ring assembly.
“The antenna has performed well electrically and mechanically during the Project Echo experiment. It was subjected to winds of 80 mph during Hurricane Donna, September 12, 1960, without damage. It has been customary to disengage the azimuth sprocket drive when the antenna is not in use, thus permitting the structure to "weathervane" and seek a position of minimum wind resistance.”
A discussion of the noise properties of antennas is given in [Ref 3].
Additional Reading:
1. Friis, H. T., and Beck, A. C, U. S. Patent 2,236,393.
2. Friis, R. W., and May, A. S., A New Broad-Band Microwave Antenna System, A.I.E.E. Trans., Pt. I, 77, 1958, p. 97.
3. Hogg, D. C, Problems in Low Noise Reception of Microwaves, I.R.E. Trans., Nat. Symp. on Space Electronics and Telemetry, 1960, p. 8-2.
4. DeGrasse, R. W., Hogg, D. C, Ohm, E. A., and Scovil, H. E. D., Ultra-Low-Noise Antenna and Receiver Combination for Satellite or Space Communication, Proc. Nat. Elect. Conf., 15, 1959, p. 370.
5. Ruze, J., Nuovo Cimento, 9, supp. 3, 1952, p. 364.
6. Woonton, G. A., The Effect of an Obstacle in the Fresnel Field on the Distant Field of a Linear Radiator, J. Appl. Phys., 21, 1950, p. 577.
Design of the Horn Antenna
The Horn Antenna located at Crawford Hill in Holmdel, New Jersey is a unique device that enabled important and significant scientific achievements and discoveries leading to the age of satellite communication (including high quality voice channels in satellite communication), and the discovery of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation that permeates the Universe, with importance as confirmation of the Big Bang Theory of the origin of the Universe.
The Horn Antenna was a collaboration between government agencies and commercial entities led by Bell Telephone Laboratories. The initial design intentions of the Horn Antenna incorporated a wide range of technical innovations necessary to achieve their goals documented in great detail elsewhere in the IEEE Milestone accompanying materials Further Reading Section. Beyond those innovations and achievements, the Horn Antenna itself was demonstrated to be a significant technical achievement because it was a very sensitive instrument and enabled radio astronomers to uncover the very origins of our Universe. The culmination of many years of Bell Telephone Laboratories Research lead to the construction of the unique Horn Antenna capable of experiments discovering the cosmic microwave background (CMB), and led the way for additional astronomers to repeat measurements and document CMB.
The Horn Antenna combines several ideal characteristics
The Horn Antenna it is extremely broad-band, has calculable aperture efficiency, and the back and sidelobes are so minimal that scarcely any thermal energy is picked up from the ground.
The Horn Antenna is an ideal radio telescope for accurate measurements of low levels of weak background radiation.
In order to achieve desired quality of voice channels in satellite communication, the antenna design incorporated several important and significant design innovations described in detail elsewhere in the incorporated IEEE Milestone documentation, Further Reading. Of interest are the Bell System Technical Journal (BSTJ) articles on Project Echo in the Further Reading Section. In addition to the communication channel innovations, the physical structure incorporated many novel design features resulting in an improved system that was ultimately ideal for its role in the ground breaking discovery of cosmic background radiation evidence of the Big Bang origins of the Universe, subject of the paper by Dr Arno A Penzias and Dr Robert W Wilson.
The antenna requires significant resources to actively move. However, an important design feature is that when not in use, the antenna azimuth sprocket drive is disengaged, thus permitting the structure to "weathervane" and seek a position of minimum wind resistance. To maintain the integrity of the antenna and reduce complexity for calibration, the system was designed to withstand winds of 100 miles per hour and the entire structure weighs 18 tons.
A plastic clapboarded utility shed 10 x 20 feet, with two windows, a double door and a sheet metal roof, is found next to the Horn Antenna. This structure houses equipment and controls for the Horn Antenna and is included in this nomination. (Including the location and additional structures and equipment is consistent with the extended information about contributions of the designs, location, and enhanced systems at the location.)
The Significance of the Horn Antenna
The significance of the Horn Antenna is in its proof-of-concept and demonstration of practical non-terrestrial communications, which were significant necessary technological developments to achieve related programs including solar cells, as well as subsequent technological innovations such as GIS and rural connectivity. This unique antenna also enabled radio astronomers to conduct experiments that had not been previously possible. This work led to Dr. Arno Penzias and Dr. Robert Wilson being awarded the 1978 Nobel Prize for Physics.
Summary of the History of the Horn Antenna and the 1964 discovery of the Cosmic Background Radiation of the Formation of the Universe, the Big Bang 1959-1965 from the application for the National Register of Historic Places.
The Horn Antenna, at the Bell Telephone Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey, is significant because of its association with the research work of two radio astronomers, Dr. Arno A. Penzias and Dr. Robert A. Wilson. In 1965 while using the Horn Antenna, Penzias and Wilson stumbled on the microwave background radiation that permeates the universe. Cosmologists quickly realized that Penzias and Wilson had made the most important discovery in modern astronomy since Edwin Hubble demonstrated in the 1920s that the universe was expanding. This discovery provided the evidence that confirmed George Gamow's and Abbe Georges Lemaitre's "Big Bang" theory of the creation of the universe and forever changed the science of cosmology—the study of the history of the universe—from a field for unlimited theoretical speculation into a subject disciplined by direct observation. In 1978 Penzias and Wilson received the Nobel Prize for Physics for their momentous discovery. [Ref 7]
History "We live in an ocean of whispers left over from our eruptive creation, physicist George Gamow and his colleagues had said. Nobody was listening." [Ref 8]
By the middle of the 20th century cosmologists concerned with the creation of the universe had evolved two leading theories to explain their views. Some astronomers supported the steady-state theory of creation, which stated that the universe has always existed and will continue to survive without noticeable change. Others believed in the "Big Bang" theory of creation which taught that the universe is the glowing debris of a huge fireball that was created in a massive explosion about 16 billion years ago. No one knew for sure which theory was correct.
At Holmdel, New Jersey, in 1964, Dr. Arno Penzias and Dr. Robert Wilson were experimenting with a supersensitive, 20-foot horn-shaped antenna originally built to detect radio waves bounced off Echo balloon satellites. To measure faint radio waves from the Telstar communications satellite, they had to eliminate all recognizable interference from their receiver. They removed the effects of radar and radio broadcasting, and suppressed interference from the heart in the receiver itself by cooling it with liquid helium to -269°C, only 4° above absolute zero—the temperature at which all motion in atoms and molecules stops. [Ref 9]
When Penzias and Wilson reduced their data they found a low, steady, mysterious noise that persisted in their receiver. This residual noise was 100 times more intense than they had expected, was evenly spread over the sky, and was present day and night. They were certain that the radiation they detected on a wavelength of 7.35 centimeters did not come from the Earth, the Sun, or our Galaxy. After thoroughly checking their equipment, the noise remained. Both men concluded that this noise was coming from outside our own galaxy—although they were not aware of any radio source that would account for it.
At that same time, Robert H. Dicke, Jim Peebles, and David Wilkenson, astrophysicists at Princeton University, just 40 miles away, were preparing to search for microwave radiation in this region of the spectrum. Dicke and his colleagues reasoned that the "Big Bang" must have scattered not only the matter that condensed into galaxies but also must have released a tremendous blast of radiation. With the proper instrumentation, this radiation should be detectable.
When a friend told Penzias about a preprint paper he had seen by Jim Peebles on the possibility of finding radiation left over from a fireball that filled the universe at the beginning of its existence, Penzias and Wilson began to realize the significance of their discovery. The characteristics of the radiation detected by Penzias and Wilson fit exactly the radiation predicted by Robert H. Dicke and his colleagues at Princeton University. Penzias called Dicke at Princeton, who immediately sent him a copy of the still unpublished Peebles paper. Penzias read the paper and called Dicke again and invited him to Bell Labs to look at the Horn Antenna and listen to the background noise. Dicke, Penzias, and Wilson visited the antenna and immediately recognized the significance of their discovery—they had stumbled on to the "embers" of creation predicted by their Princeton colleagues.
Two Letters Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal Letters
Two letters were rushed to the Astrophysical Journal Letters. In the first, Dicke and his associates outlined the importance of cosmic background radiation as substantiation of the Big Bang Theory. The second letter signed jointly by Penzias and Wilson titled, "A Measurement of Excess Antenna Temperature at 4080 Megacycles per Second" disclosed the existence of the residual background noise, and attributed a possible explanation to that given by Dicke in his companion letter.
References in the Astrophysical Journal Letters:
1965ApJ 142 419P.pdf American Astronomical Society A Measurement of Excess Antenna Temperature at 4080 M c/s AA Penzias RW Wilson May 13, 1965 Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc Crawford Hill, Holmdel, New Jersey
1965ApJ 142 414D.pdf American Astronomical Society Cosmic Black-Body Radiation RH Dicke PJE Peebles PG Roll DT Wilkinson May 7th, 1965 Palmer Physical Laboratory Princeton, New Jersey
Reference in the National Register of Historic Places:
National Register Form 89002457.pdf United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
From the National Historic Landmark Nomination: "Harvard physicist Edward Purcell, read this announcement and concluded that 'It just may be the most important thing anybody has ever seen.' ” [Ref 1], [Ref 10]
Astronomer Robert Jastrow echoed this conclusion by stating that Penzias and Wilson "...made one of the greatest discoveries in 500 years of modern astronomy." [Ref 11], [Ref 2]
A Bell System Technical Journal Reading List on Project Echo from Volume 40, Number 4, July 1961:
Pages 975-1028; Participation of Bell Telephone Laboratories in Project Echo and Experimental Results; Jakes, William C. Jr.
Pages 1029-1039; Project Echo: System Calculations; Ruthroff, Clyde L.; Jakes, William C. Jr.
Pages 1041-1064; Project Echo: 960-mc, 10-kw Transmitter; Schafer, J.P.; Brandt, R.H.
Pages 1065-1094; Project Echo: Receiving System; Ohm, E.A.
Pages 1095-1116; Project Echo: A Horn-Reflector Antenna for Space Communication; Crawford, A.B.; Hogg, D.C.; Hunt, L.E.
Pages 1117-1127; Project Echo: The Dual Channel 2390-mc Traveling-Wave Maser; De Grasse, R.W.; Kostelnick, J.J.; Scovil, H.E.D.
Pages 1129-1147; Project Echo: Standby Receiver System; Kibler, L.U.
Pages 1149-1156; Project Echo: FM Demodulators with Negative Feedback; Ruthroff, Clyde L.
Pages 1157-1182; Project Echo: Satellite Tracking Radar; De Lange, O.E.
Pages 1183-1205; Project Echo: 961-mc Lower-Sideband Up-Converter for Satellite-Tracking Radar; Uenohara, M.; Seidel, H.
Pages 1207-1225; Project Echo: Antenna Steering System; Klahne, R.; Norton, J.A.; Githens, J.A.
Pages 1227-1233; Project Echo: Boresight Cameras; Warthman, K.L.
Pages 1235-1238; Contributors to this Issue
A Bell System Technical Journal Reading List on Telstar Volume 42, Number 4, July 1963:
Pages 739-746; The Telstar Experiment; Dickieson, A.C.
Pages 747-764; The Research Background of the Telstar Experiment; Crawford, A.B.; Cutler, C.C.; Kompfner, R.; Tillotson, L.C.
Pages 765-799; The Telstar Satellite System; Hoth, D.F.; O'Neill, E.F.; Welber, I.
Pages 801-830; A General Description of the Telstar Satellite; Shennum, R.H.; Haury, P.T.
Pages 831-867; The Spacecraft Communications Repeater; Davis, C.G.; Hutchison, P.T.; Witt, F.J.; Maunsell, H.I.
Pages 869-897; The Spacecraft Antennas; Bangert, J.T.; Engelbrecht, R.S.; Harkless, E.T.; Sperry, R.V.; Walsh, E.J.
Pages 899-941; The Spacecraft Radiation Experiments; Brown, W.L.; Buck, T.M.; Medford, L.V.; Thomas, E.W.; Gummel, H.K.; Miller, G.L.; Smits, F.M.
Pages 943-972; The Spacecraft Power Supply System; Bomberger, D.C.; Feldman, D.; Trucksess, D.E.; Brolin, S.J.; Ussery, P.W.
Pages 973-1005; The Spacecraft Structure and Thermal Design Considerations; Hrycak, P.; Koontz, D.E.; Maggs, C.; Stafford, J.W.; Unger, B.A.; Wittenberg, A.M.
Pages 1007-1025; The Spacecraft Test and Evaluation Program; Delchamps, T.B.; Jonasson, G.C.; Swift, R.A.
Pages 1027-1062; Command and Telemetry Systems; Chapman, R.C. Jr.; Critchlow, G.F.; Mann, H.
Pages 1063-1107; The Ground Transmitter and Receiver; Giger, A.J.; Pardee, S. Jr.; Wickliffe, P.R. Jr.
Pages 1109-1135; The FM Demodulator with Negative Feedback; Giger, A.J.; Chaffee, J.C.
Pages 1137-1186; The Mechanical Design of the Horn-Reflector Antenna and Radome; Dolling, J.C.; Blackmore, R.W.; Kindermann, W.J.; Woodard, K.B.
Pages 1187-1211; The Electrical Characteristics of the Conical Horn-Reflector Antenna; Hines, J.N.; Li, Tingye; Turrin, R.H.
Pages 1213-1221; Antenna Pointing System: Organization and Performance; Githens, J.A.; Kelly, H.P.; Lozier, J.C.; Lundstrom, A.A.
Pages 1223-1252; Digital Equipment for the Antenna Pointing System; Githens, J.A.; Peters, T.R.
Pages 1253-1281; The Servo System for Antenna Positioning; Lozier, J.C.; Norton, J.A.; Iwama, M.
Pages 1283-1307; The Autotrack System; Cook, J.S.; Lowell, R.
Pages 1309-1356; The Precision Tracker; Anders, J.V.; Higgins, E.F. Jr.; Murray, J.L.; Schaefer, F.J. Jr.
Pages 1357-1382; Orbit Determination and Prediction, and Computer Programs; Claus, A.J.; Blackman, R.B.; Halline, E.G.; Ridgway, W.C. III
Pages 1383-1420; Planning, Operation and External Communications of the Andover Earth Station; Smith, D.H.; Carlson, C.P.; McCune, R.J.; Elicker, R.E.; Sageman, R.E.
Pages 1421-1447; Participation of the Holmdel Station in the Telstar Project; Jakes, W.C. Jr.
Pages 1449-1473; Launching of the Telstar Satellite; Upthegrove, H.N.; D'Albora, J.B. Jr.; Kolding, A.R.; McLeod, B.A.
Pages 1475-1504; Results of the Telstar Satellite Space Experiments; Hutchison, P.T.; Swift, R.A.
Pages 1505-1560; Results of the Telstar Radiation Experiments; Brown, W.L.; Gabbe, J.D.; Rosenzweig, W.
Pages 1561-1629; Results of the Telstar System Communication Tests; Hatch, R.W.; Bennett, S.D.; Kinzer, J.P.
NASA URL on Project Echo: https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4308/ch6.htm
The following sources provided descriptive material for the above section:
[Ref 1] J.S. Hey, "The Evolution of Radio Astronomy" (New York: Neale Watson Academic Publications, Inc., 1973), pp. 98-99.
[Ref 2] A.B. Crawford, D. C. Hogg, and L. E. Hunt, "A Horn Reflector Antenna for Space Communication," Bell System Technical Journal (July 1961), pp. 1095-1099.
[Ref 3] Friis, H. T., and Beck, A. C, U. S. Patent 2,236,393.
[Ref 4] Friis, R. W., and May, A. S., "A New Broad-Band Microwave Antenna System," A.I.E.E. Trans., Pt. I, 77, 1958, p. 97.
[Ref 5] Hogg, D. C, "Problems in Low Noise Reception of Microwaves," I.R.E. Trans., Nat. Symp. on Space Electronics and Telemetry, 1960, p. 8-2.
[Ref 6] DeGrasse, R. W., Hogg, D. C, Ohm, E. A., and Scovil, H. E. D., "Ultra-Low-Noise Antenna and Receiver Combination for Satellite or Space Communication," Proc. Nat. Elect. Conf., 15, 1959, p. 370.
[Ref 7] Marcus Chown, "A cosmic relic in three degrees," New Scientist, September 29, 1988, pp. 51-52. Richard Learner, Astronomy Through the Telescope (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1981), p. 154.
[Ref 8] Timothy Ferris, "The Red Limit, The Search for the Edge of the Universe," (New York: Quill Press, 1983), p. 141.
[Ref 9] Herbert Friedman, "The Amazing Universe" (Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 1975), p 166-167.
[Ref 10] Ferris, op. cit., 151.
[Ref 11] Robert Jastrow, "God and the Astronomers" (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1978), p. 20.
What obstacles (technical, political, geographic) needed to be overcome?
Project Echo tackled obstacles to coast to coast high quality voice transmission involving including: tracking the satellite accurately enough to achieve the hoped-for signal levels which represented a difficult problem; therefore a number of different tracking modes were provided at Bell Telephone Laboratories (BTL).
Primarily, the entire system was slaved to a teletypewriter tape containing predicted look angles for a given satellite pass. This tape was based on orbit-reduction calculations performed at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, Maryland, utilizing observations obtained from the Minitrack network.
During the actual pass any differences between the position called for by the tape and the actual satellite position were then corrected by means of information derived from optics, radar, or maximization of the 2390-mc received signal- whichever seemed best to use under the conditions of the moment.
Alternatively, if no drive tape was available and if the satellite was visible, the system could be slaved to the optical system, which was then manually operated to track the satellite. All of the above methods were successfully used at one time or another, in fact, had they not all been provided, valuable data would have been lost.
What features set this work apart from similar achievements?
Evidence of the background radiation of the creation of the Universe is one of the most significant discoveries of the 20th Century. With this specific antenna, the following was made possible: (1) Project Echo, one of the earliest satellite communications in the United States; (2) Telstar, the first active communications satellite; and (3) discovery of the Big Bang background radiation of the formation of the Universe, which led to the Nobel Prize for Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson.
Supporting texts and citations to establish the dates, location, and importance of the achievement: Minimum of five (5), but as many as needed to support the milestone, such as patents, contemporary newspaper articles, journal articles, or chapters in scholarly books. 'Scholarly' is defined as peer-reviewed, with references, and published. You must supply the texts or excerpts themselves, not just the references. At least one of the references must be from a scholarly book or journal article. All supporting materials must be in English, or accompanied by an English translation.
05:09, 2 March 2023 1965ApJ 142 419P.pdf (file) 220 KB Kitaugust American Astronomical Society A Measurement of Excess Antenna Temperature at 4080 M c/s AA Penzias RW Wilson May 13, 1965 Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc Crawford Hill, Holmdel, New Jersey
05:05, 2 March 2023 1965ApJ 142 414D.pdf (file) 480 KB Kitaugust American Astronomical Society Cosmic Black-Body Radiation RH Dicke PJE Peebles PG Roll DT Wilkinson May 7th, 1965 Palmer Physical Laboratory Princeton, New Jersey
04:36, 2 March 2023 National Register Form 89002457.pdf (file) 441 KB Kitaugust United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form Is for use In nominating or requesting determinations of eligibility for Individual properties or districts. See Instructions In Gu/de//ntt for Completing National Register Forma (National Register Bulletin 16). Complete each Item by marking "x" In the appropriate box or by entering the requested Information. If an Item does not apply to the property being documented...
04:27, 2 March 2023 Bstj42-4-1659.pdf (file) 1.39 MB Kitaugust The Bell System Technical Journal, July 1963 Components for the Telstar Project WC Hittinger Received March 5, 1963
04:24, 2 March 2023 Bstj42-4-739.pdf (file) 2.81 MB Kitaugust The Bell System Technical Journal, July 1963 The Telstar Experiment by AC Dickieson Received February 6, 1963
04:21, 2 March 2023 -1962 June- Project Telstar Fact Sheet.pdf (file) 2.63 MB Kitaugust 1962 June Project Telstar Fact Sheet
04:14, 2 March 2023 EA Ohm Horn Antenna Receiving System.pdf (file) 8.22 MB Kitaugust THE BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL, JULY 1961 PROJECT ECHO Receiving System By E. A. OHM
04:11, 2 March 2023 Bell Laboratories in Project Echo.pdf (file) 18.05 MB Kitaugust THE BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL VOLUME XL JULY 1961 NUMBER 4 Participation of Bell Telephone Laboratories in Project Echo and Experimental Results By WILLIAM C. JAKES, JR.
04:08, 2 March 2023 A Horn Reflector System for Space Communication.pdf (file) 6.24 MB Kitaugust THE BELL SYSTEM TECHNICAL JOURNAL, JULY 1961 PROJECT ECHO A Horn-Reflector Antenna for Space Communication By A. B. CRAWFORD, D. C. HOGG and L. E. HUNT
16:50, 1 May 2023 Giovanni-Vanucci-with-Bob-Wilson.jpg (file) 1.96 MB Kitaugust Dr Giovanni Vanucci with Dr Robert W Wilson at Crawford Hill, Holmdel, New Jersey.
16:48, 1 May 2023 Arno and Bob.png (file) 597 KB Kitaugust Dr Robert W Wilson and Dr Arno Penzias near Antenna.
16:47, 1 May 2023 Antenna and blue skies with student visitor.jpg (file) 156 KB Kitaugust A Student Visitor at the Horn Antenna at Crawford Hill, Holmdel, New Jersey.
16:46, 1 May 2023 Bob Wilson 4-cropped.jpg (file) 66 KB Kitaugust Dr Robert Wilson at a picnic at Crawford Hill, Holmdel, New Jersey.
16:43, 1 May 2023 DrRobertWWilson-2018PicnicSpring.jpg (file) 62 KB Kitaugust Dr Robert W Wilson 2018 at the Spring Picnic at Crawford Hill, Holmdel, New Jersey.
16:41, 1 May 2023 BobWilsonwithBullHorn-crop.jpg (file) 16 KB Kitaugust Bob Wilson addressing a group at the Crawford Hill location in Holmdel, New Jersey.
16:39, 1 May 2023 BobWilson-HornAnt-2.jpg (file) 115 KB Kitaugust Picture of the Horn Antenna and the Monument from the National Historic Register.
16:35, 1 May 2023 Picture of the Horn Tower at Crawford Hill.jpg (file) 221 KB Kitaugust Picture of the Horn Tower and Antenna used for Project Echo, Telstar, and the Big Bang experiments located at Crawford Hill, Holmdel Township, New Jersey.
16:25, 1 May 2023 BSTJ Ohm Project ECHO Receiving system OCR LR 1961.pdf (file) 5.24 MB Kitaugust Bell System Technical Journal Ohm Project ECHO and related experiments, measurements, descriptions leading up to the Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson experiment.
16:20, 1 May 2023 19980227855-Project Echo Camera 1961.pdf (file) 335 KB Kitaugust A component of the Project Echo antenna arrangement involved a motion picture camera system documented herein.
16:17, 1 May 2023 God-and-the-Astronomers-Robert-Jastrow.pdf (file) 15.59 MB Kitaugust Robert Jastrow includes the Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson experiment and describes the significance in the context of astronomy and religion.
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