70m telescope at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex

Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex

Tidbinbilla Locality Map

The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) is a ground station that is located in Australia at Tidbinbilla in a valley of the Murrumbidgee River, about half an hour's drive out of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory, accessible from either the northern or southern suburbs from the Paddy's River Road. Tidbinbilla Nature Park is marked on the map by the star, with the station in the valley mid-way towards the Weston Creek suburban area. Telescope at Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex (picture i took on uni trip) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Telescope at Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex (picture i took on uni trip) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Dsn_canberra. ... Image File history File links Dsn_canberra. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x908, 51 KB)Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve Locality Map - Created By Martin Conway and released under the GFDL File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x908, 51 KB)Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve Locality Map - Created By Martin Conway and released under the GFDL File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: Test page? If you disagree with its speedy deletion, please explain why on its talk page or at Wikipedia:Speedy deletions. ... Tidbinbilla can mean: Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, a nature reserve near Canberra, Australia. ... The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... Capital Canberra Government Constitutional monarchy Administrator none Chief Minister Jon Stanhope (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 2  - Senate seats 2 Gross Territorial Product (2006)  - Product ($m)  $19,167 (6th)  - Product per capita  $57,303/person (1st) Population (End of November 2006)  - Population  333,667 (7th)  - Density  137. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x908, 51 KB)Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve Locality Map - Created By Martin Conway and released under the GFDL File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Location of Weston Creek Weston Creek is a district of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia which lies west of the Woden Valley district. ...

The complex is part of the Deep Space Network run by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It is commonly referred to as the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station and was officially opened on 19 March 1965 by the then Prime Minister of Australia Sir Robert Menzies. Deep Space Network (DSN) is an international network of radio antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions, and radio and radar astronomy observations for the exploration of the solar system and the universe. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States federal government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... For the singer/songwriter, see Jon Peter Lewis. ... March 19 is the 78th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (79th in leap years). ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, KT, AK, CH, FRS, QC (20 December 1894 – 14 May 1978), Australian politician, was the twelfth and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia, serving eighteen and a half years. ...

The station is separated from Canberra by the Murrumbidgee River, but most notably by the Coolamon Ridge and Urambi Hills that help shield the city's radio frequency (RF) noise from the dishes. Located nearby is the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Radio waves. ... Tidbinbilla Locality Map Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, on the fringe of Namadgi National Park, is a short drive from the city of Canberra, Australia. ...

The CSIRO manages most of NASA's activities in Australia. Since March 2003, Raytheon Australia has managed the CDSCC on behalf of the CSIRO and NASA. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is the national government body for scientific research in Australia. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) is a major United States military contractor based in Waltham, Massachusetts. ...

The complex is one of just three in the world. The other two are the Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex located in Spain and the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in the United States. The Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex is located at 28290 Robledo de Chavela in (Madrid) Spain. ... The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC) —commonly called the Goldstone Observatory— is located in Californias Mojave Desert (USA). ...

History

During the mid 1960s NASA built three tracking stations in the Australian Capital Territory. An earth station or ground station is the surface-based (terrestrial) end of a communications link to an object in outer space. ...

• The Tidbinbilla Tracking Station (now known as CDSCC) was opened in 1965 and is the only NASA tracking station in Australia still in operation. During the Apollo program, Tidbinbilla was used for tracking the Apollo Lunar Module.

• The Orroral Valley Tracking Station was opened in May 1965 in what is now part of Namadgi National Park. Its role was orbiting satellite support, although it also supported the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. It was closed in 1985.

• Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station opened in 1967 and was built primarily to support the Apollo moon missions, mainly communications with the Apollo Command Module. After the cancellation of the Apollo Project the station supported Skylab until its re-entry in 1979 when the station joined the Deep Space Network in support of the Viking and Voyager projects. 1981 saw the closure of the station and its 26 m antenna was moved to CDSCC to become known as Deep Space Station 46.

Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Project Apollo was a series of human spaceflight missions undertaken by the United States of America (NASA) using the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn launch vehicle, conducted during the years 1961 – 1975. ... The LEM flight instrumentation panel and front windows. ... The former Orroral Valley space tracking station site, October 2003. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Namadgi National Park is located in the southwestern part of the Australian Capital Territory, bordering Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. ... The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was the first joint flight of the U.S. and Soviet space programs. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Canberra Deep Dish Communications Complex Honeysuckle Creek was a NASA spacecraft-tracking station near Canberra, Australia at 35°35′02″ S 148°58′37″ E from 1967 to 1981. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Description Role: Earth and Lunar Orbit Crew: 3; CDR, CM pilot, LM pilot Dimensions Height: 36. ... Skylab was the first space station the United States launched into orbit. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Deep Space Network (DSN) is an international network of radio antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions, and radio and radar astronomy observations for the exploration of the solar system and the universe. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ...

Receivers

As of October 2005 the Station has four large antennas in use. The CDSCC also uses the Parkes radio telescope in central New South Wales at busy times to receive data from spacecraft. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Parkes Observatory in New South Wales, Australia The Parkes Observatory is a radio telescope observatory, 20 kilometres north of the town of Parkes, New South Wales, Australia. ... Capital Sydney Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Professor Marie Bashir Premier Morris Iemma (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 50  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $305,437 (1st)  - Product per capita  $45,153/person (4th) Population (End of March 2006)  - Population  6,817,100 (1st)  - Density  8. ... The Space Shuttle Discovery as seen from the International Space Station. ...

• DSS-34 is a 34 m dish utilising a wave guide to place the receiving and transmitting hardware underground rather than on top of the dish. It is the most recent antenna at CDSCC, being built in 1997.
• DSS-43 is a 70 m dish constructed in 1976 and extended in 1987. It is the largest steerable parabolic antenna in the Southern Hemisphere.
• DSS-45 is a 34 m dish built in 1986.
• DSS-46 is a 26 m dish. It was moved in 1981 from Honeysuckle Creek, where it was built in 1967.
• DSS-49 is the designation of the 64 m dish at Parkes.

The station's collimation tower is located approximately 3 km to the north-west, on Black Hill. The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... The Parabolic antenna is a high-gain, reflector antenna used for radio, television and data communications, and also for radiolocation (RADAR), on the UHF and SHF frequencies. ... southern hemisphere highlighted in yellow (Antarctica not depicted). ... The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ... Collimated light is light whose rays are parallel. ... The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ...

External links

• Official CDSCC Webpage
• Satellite images : WikiMapia, GoogleMaps

Coordinates: 35°24′05″S, 148°58′54″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...