Goldstone Deep Space Complex Communications

The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex ( GDSCC ), in French Center of Space Communications Long distances of Goldstone — commonly named Goldstone Observatory — is located in the Désert of Mojaves in California at the the United States, with approximately 60 kilometers in the north of Barstow. Under the responsibility of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, its goal is to ensure the communications and the follow-up of the space missions. The observatory belongs to the Deep Space Network of NASA. The center is one of the three centers of this type in the world, the others being in Spain and Australia.

History

The June 20th 1963, NASA gave mandate to Rohr Corporation to build the first antenna of 64 meters in Goldstone, the contract related to an amount of 12 million $. The first reception of a signal emitted by a Space vehicle took place the March 18th 1966, the transmission came from Mariner 4.

In the years which followed, the antenna played an important role in the reception of the signals of the missions Apollo, Viking and Voyager.

In order to follow the atterissage of the Apollo missions on the moon, NASA installed antennas of 26 meter with Goldstone, Honeysuckle Creek in Australia and Fresnedillas in Spain.

Research

The Radiotéléscope S of Goldstone are also used for the research of the interractions of the Neutrino S with ultra-high energy with the the Moon thanks to the antennas with broad spectrum of the center.

External bonds

Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex official site
Deep Space Network of NASA
Images of Deep Space Network in Goldstone (California) on the site of JPL
the Radar of Solar Sytème on the site of JPL

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