Picture Album of the
DEEP SPACE NETWORK

New Polar-Mounted Antenna at the Goldstone Echo Site in California

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To support the increased number of flight projects (Surveyor and Lunar Orbiter, in addition to Ranger and Mariner) initiated in the early 1960s, the Deep Space Network implemented a new subnet of 26-meter, polar-mounted antennas at Goldstone, California; Tidbinbilla, Australia; and Robledo, Spain.

During its construction period (early 1962), the new Goldstone antenna (DSS 12) shared the Echo site with the az-e1 (azimuth-elevation)-mounted antenna, which had to remain in place to support the Ranger missions. Once completed, the new antenna took over this responsibility and the az-e1 antenna moved to the Venus site, leaving behind its foundation (at left in photo).

In subsequent years, the area near the Echo site became the location for a (1) headquarters, including cafeteria, for the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex; (2) Network logistics facility; (3) microwave standards laboratory; (4) microwave test facility for assembling and testing Cassegrain cones; and (5) field station (with seismometer) for the Caltech Seismological Laboratory.

1950's      1960's      1970's      1980's      1990's