Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex
| Goldstone Deep Space Network | |||||||||||||
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 Goldstone Deep Space Network |
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| Organization | NASA, JPL, Caltech | ||||||||||||
| Location | Mojave Desert (near Barstow), San Bernardino County, California, USA | ||||||||||||
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Coordinates
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| Established | Summer 1958 | ||||||||||||
| Website http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsn/ |
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Pioneer Deep Space Station
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Pioneer Deep Space Station
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| Location: | Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, Fort Irwin, California |
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| Coordinates: | 35°23′21.41″N 116°51′22.31″W / 35.3892806°N 116.8561972°W |
| Area: | less than 1-acre (4,000 m2) |
| Built: | 1958 |
| Architect: | U.S. Army |
| Architectural style: | No Style Listed |
| Governing body: | National Aeronautics & Space Administration |
| NRHP Reference#: | 85002813 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP: | October 3, 1985[1] |
| Designated NHL: | October 3, 1985[2] |
The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC), commonly called the Goldstone Observatory, is located in the U.S. state of California's Mojave Desert. Operated for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, its main purpose is to track and communicate with space missions. It is named after Goldstone, California, a nearby gold-mining ghost town.[3]
The complex includes the Pioneer Deep Space Station, which is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. The current observatory is part of NASA's Deep Space Network. The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex is one of just 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 [edit]
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 strike Earth; and the search for ultra-high energy neutrino interactions in the moon by using large-aperture radio antennas.[4]
"Goldstone has the bird" [edit]
It is commonly believed that the first U.S. satellite, Explorer I, was confirmed to be in orbit by the use of the phrase "Goldstone has the bird".[5] However, Goldstone was not in operation at the time of Explorer I, and like many oft-repeated quotations it is incorrect. Others claim that the actual phrase was "Gold has it!",[6] incorrectly identifying "Gold" as a temporary tracking station at Earthquake Valley in the Anza-Borrego desert. In fact, Gold Station was located at the Air Force Missile Test Center (AFMTC) in Florida and the temporary tracking station at Earthquake Valley was Red Station.[7]
Complex tours [edit]
The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex conducts tours of its facility and museum to middle and high schools, as well as individuals interested in visiting.
In popular culture [edit]
The DSS 14, "Mars" telescope is specifically quoted in the webcomic Wondermark, episode 881 "In which a Standard is Questioned".[8]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23.
- ^ "Apollo Deep Space Station". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
- ^ Goldstone gold mining
- ^ "A Search for Ultra-High Energy Neutrino Interactions in the Moon Using Large-Aperture Radio Antennas". UCLA. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
- ^ Medaris, John B. (1960). Countdown for Decision. New York, New York: G. P. Putnam & Sons. ISBN 978-1124155661.
- ^ The First Explorer Satellites lecture by George H. Luwig, 9 Oct 2004
- ^ Juno I: Re-entry Test Vehicles and Explorer Satellites, p.56
- ^ David Malki (c). Wondermark. ([1]). October 23rd, 2012, .
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex |
- 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
- Historic 'Mars antenna' in Mojave Desert undergoing repairs (Los Angeles Times, October 3, 2010)
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