Abstract

The Baker-Nunn Cameras (BNCs) were produced by the Smithsonian Institution during the late 50's as an optical tracking system for artificial satellites. One of those telescopes was installed at the Real Instituto Observatorio de la Armada (ROA) in San Fernando (Spain) and managed jointly between these two institutions until 1979, when the Smithsonian transferred the instrument to the ROA.

In 2000, due to its excellent mechanical and optical original design, the Observatori Fabra of the Reial Academia de Ciències Arts de Barcelona (RACAB) and the ROA agreed to refurbish the BNC and to install this new facility in a new observatory at 1570 m altitude founded in Catalonia, in the NE of Spain. After the refurbishment period and first test at the ROA the now called Telescope Fabra-ROA Montsec (TFRM) was moved to the Observatori Astronòmic del Montsec (OAdM) on 2010 September. Since then, it is in commissioning period to test both observing modes: remote and robotic.

In this presentation we shall show the results of some observational campaigns carried out with the TFRM while it was in commissioning. Mainly the instrument has participated, as an informal partner, in the CO-VI Satellite Tracking Campaign of the ESA's Space Situational Awareness (SSA). These campaigns are experimental observations of Earth orbit objects using existing European telescopes and radars to determine how accurately they can work together. Also some transiting observations of known exoplanets have been conducted.