Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex

	Pioneer Deep Space Station
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. National Historic Landmark
	Pioneer Deep Space Station
Location	Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, Fort Irwin, California
Area	less than 1-acre (4,000 m2)
Built	1958
Architect	U.S. Army
Architectural style	No Style Listed
NRHP reference No.	85002813
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 3, 1985
Designated NHL	October 3, 1985

Goldstone Deep Space Network
	Goldstone Deep Space Network
Alternative names	Goldstone Observatory
Organization	NASA, JPL, Caltech
Location	Mojave Desert (near Barstow), San Bernardino County, California, USA
Coordinates	35°25′36″N 116°53′24″W / 35.42667°N 116.89000°W
Established	Summer 1958
Website	http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsn/
Telescopes
DSS 13 - "Venus"*
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"	34 m "High Efficiency" reflector on Alt/Az mount
DSS 24, 25, 26 - "Apollo"	34 m reflector with BWG optics on Alt/Az mount
DSS 27, 28 - "Gemini"	34 m reflector with BWG optics on "High Speed" Alt/Az mount
	Location of Goldstone Deep Space Network
	Related media on Commons
	[edit on Wikidata]

The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC) — commonly called the Goldstone Observatory — is located in California's Mojave Desert. Operated by ITT Corporation for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, its main purpose is to track and communicate with space missions. It 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.

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 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"

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". However, Goldstone was not in operation at the time of Explorer I, and like many oft-repeated quotations it is a misquote. The actual phrase was "Gold has it!"^[5] "Gold" was not an abbreviation of Goldstone, but code for a temporary tracking station at Earthquake Valley in the Anza-Borrego desert.

Commemoration

The Pioneer Deep Space Station was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1985.^[1]^[3]

Complex tours

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.

References

^ ^a ^b Harry A. Butowsky (May 15, 1984). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination:" (Document). National Park Service. {{cite document}}: Unknown parameter |accessdate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |format= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |url= ignored (help) and Template:PDFlink
^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
^ ^a ^b "Apollo Deep Space Station". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
^ "A Search for Ultra-High Energy Neutrino Interactions in the Moon Using Large-Aperture Radio Antennas". UCLA. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
^ The First Explorer Satellites lecture by George H. Luwig, 9 Oct 2004

External links

[nrhpinv2-1] Harry A. Butowsky (May 15, 1984). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination:" (Document). National Park Service. {{cite document}}: Unknown parameter |accessdate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |format= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |url= ignored (help) and Template:PDFlink

[nris-2] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.

[nhlsum-3] "Apollo Deep Space Station". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-03-20.

[4] "A Search for Ultra-High Energy Neutrino Interactions in the Moon Using Large-Aperture Radio Antennas". UCLA. Retrieved 2008-03-28.

[5] The First Explorer Satellites lecture by George H. Luwig, 9 Oct 2004

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