| Goldstone Deep Space Network | |
 Goldstone Deep Space Network |
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| Organization: | NASA, JPL, Caltech |
|---|---|
| Location: | Mojave Desert (near Barstow), San Bernardino County, California, USA |
| Established: | Summer 1958 |
| Website: | [http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsn/ |
| Telescopes | |
| DSS 13 - "Venus"*: | 34m (~910 m²) reflector with Beam waveguide optics (BWG) on Alt/Az mount |
| DSS 14 - "Mars": | 70m (~3850 m²) reflector on Alt/Az mount |
| DSS 15 - "Uranus": | 34m "High Efficiency" reflector on Alt/Az mount |
| DSS 24, 25, 26 - "Apollo": | 34m reflector with BWG optics on Alt/Az mount |
| DSS 27, 28 - "Gemini": | 34m reflector with BWG optics on "High Speed" Alt/Az mount |
The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC) —commonly called the Goldstone Observatory— is located in California's Mojave Desert (USA). Operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, its main purpose is to track and communicate with space missions. The observatory is part of NASA's Deep Space Network. The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex is just one of three in the world; the others being the Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex and the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex.
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Antennas
Goldstone antennas have also been used as sensitive radio telescopes for such scientific investigations as: mapping quasars and other celestial radio sources; radar mapping planets, the Moon, comets and asteroids; spotting comets and asteroids with the potential to impact earth; and the search for ultra-high energy neutrino interactions in the moon by using large-aperture radio antennas. [1]
"Goldstone has the bird"
It is commonly believed that the first US satellite, Explorer I, was confirmed to be in orbit by the use of the phrase "Goldstone has the bird". However, Goldstone was not in operation at the time of Explorer I, and that phrase probably referred to an early Pioneer program spacecraft.[1]
See also
References
External links
- Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex Website
- Goldstone tours
- NASA's Deep Space Network
- JPL: Images of the Deep Space Network Goldstone, California
- JPL: Images of the Deep Space Network Goldstone, California
- JPL Communications Systems and Research Section 332 Website
- Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex is at coordinates Coordinates:
