Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex
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| Goldstone Deep Space Network | |||||||||||||
 Goldstone Deep Space Network |
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| Organization | NASA, JPL, Caltech | ||||||||||||
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| Location | Mojave Desert (near Barstow), San Bernardino County, California, USA | ||||||||||||
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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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| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
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| Location: | Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, Fort Irwin, California |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Area: | less than 1 acre[1] |
| Built/Founded: | 1958 |
| Architect: | U.S. Army |
| Architectural style(s): | No Style Listed |
| Designated as NHL: | October 03, 1985[2] |
| Added to NRHP: | October 03, 1985[3] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 85002813 |
| Governing body: | NATIONAL AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADMINISTRATION |
The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC) —commonly called the Goldstone Observatory— is located in California's Mojave Desert (USA). 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 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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[edit] 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.[4]
[edit] "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.[5]
[edit] Commemoration
The Pioneer Deep Space Station was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1985.[2][1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Harry A. Butowsky (May 15, 1984), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: PDF (32 KB), National Park Service and Accompanying three photos, from 1969, the 1970's, and 1983PDF (32 KB)
- ^ a b Pioneer Deep Space Station. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ A Search for Ultra-High Energy Neutrino Interactions in the Moon Using Large-Aperture Radio Antennas. UCLA. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
- ^ The Space Review: Apocrypha now: no go for seven orbits. thespacereview.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
[edit] 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
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