Autotrack
An automated antenna control mode in which the ground station antenna continuously tracks a satellite's position using a derived error signal (e.g., monopulse, step-track, or programmed track), maintaining optimal pointing without manual intervention.
Full Definition
Autotrack systems enable a ground station antenna to follow the apparent motion of a satellite — due to orbital perturbations, inclined-orbit motion, or spacecraft drift — without requiring an operator to manually adjust antenna position. Common autotrack methods include monopulse tracking (which extracts pointing error from the received signal pattern), step-track (which periodically dithers the antenna to find the signal peak), and program track (which follows a pre-calculated ephemeris). Autotrack is particularly essential for LEO and MEO satellite ground stations, where the satellite moves rapidly across the sky, and for inclined-orbit GEO operations. Editors should render 'autotrack' as one word, lowercase; 'auto-track' and 'auto track' are non-standard variants.
Usage
Usage note: One word, lowercase: 'autotrack'. When the specific tracking method matters, name it explicitly (e.g., 'step-track autotrack', 'monopulse autotrack'). Do not write as 'auto-track' or 'auto track'.
In Context
- "The antenna control unit was configured for step-track autotrack on the inclined-orbit satellite, peaking every 15 minutes." — Antenna Operations Manual
- "During the handover sequence, the autotrack system transitioned from the primary to the backup satellite within 200 ms." — Failover Procedure Document