Antenna NASA built. Woomera (Island Lagoon), Australia ...[ 3821 ]
Space Communications Antenna Supported Early NASA Missions
Page Last Updated: March 13th, 2014
Page Editor: Sarah Loff
NASA Official: Brian Dunbar
This
26 meter (85 foot) antenna operated in Woomera (Island Lagoon),
Australia at Deep Space Station (DSS) 41, established in August 1960.
The Island Lagoon site was the first deep space station to be
established outside the United States and the first Australian antenna
NASA built. . The station was operated by the Australian Department of
Supply and helped support the Ranger and early Mariner missions, as well
as communications from the Deep Space Network (DSN) complex in
Goldstone, California via a moon bounce. Woomera’s antenna ceased
operations in 1972. . Today, the Deep Space Network -- consisting of three sites in
Goldstone, California; Madrid, Spain; and Canberra, Australia --
supports space communications for NASA and non-NASA missions that
explore the furthest points of our solar system. Each complex currently
has a 70 meter (230 foot) antenna, one 34 meter (111 foot) High
Efficiency (HEF) antenna, and one or more 34 meter Beam Wave Guide (BWG)
antenna. . The Deep Space Network is operated 24 hours a day, seven days a
week, 365 days per year. To support future mission needs, construction
is currently underway in Canberra, Australia to add two new 34 meter BWG
antennas, Deep Space Station 35 (DSS-35) and DSS-36 by 2018. > Read more Image Credit: NASA
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