Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex

Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex

File:CSIRO ScienceImage 11042 Aerial view of the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex.jpg The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex in 2010
Alternative names
Organization	CSIRO / NASA / JPL
Location	Tidbinbilla, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Coordinates
Altitude	550 m
Established	19 March 1965
Website	www.cdscc.nasa.gov
Telescopes
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File:Canberra Deep Space Telesco.jpg

70m DSS-43 telescope at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex

The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) is a satellite communication station, part of the Deep Space Network of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), located at Tidbinbilla in the Australian Capital Territory. Opened in 1965, the complex was used for tracking the Apollo Lunar Module, and along with its two sister stations at Goldstone, California, and Madrid, Spain is now used for tracking and communicating with NASA's spacecraft, particularly interplanetary missions. Its DSS-43 antenna is the only antenna on Earth that can send commands to Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. It is managed in Australia by the CSIRO for NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN) at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C.

Location

The complex is located in the Paddys River (a tributary of the Cotter River) valley, about 20 km from Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. 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 prime minister of Australia, Robert Menzies.

The station is separated from Canberra by the Murrumbidgee River and, more importantly, the Coolamon Ridge, Urambi Hills, and Bullen Range, which help shield the dishes from the city's radio frequency (RF) noise. Located nearby is the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

Management

The CSIRO manages most of NASA's activities in Australia.

In February 2010 CSIRO took over direct management of the site with the establishment of CASS (CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science). Previous to this CDSCC had been managed by external sub-contractor organisations, such as Raytheon Australia from 2003 to 2010; BAE Systems Australia 1990–2003; AWA Electronic Services -1990.

History

File:Tidbinbilla ACT locality-MJC01.png

Tidbinbilla Locality Map, the site is marked with the red star.

File:DSS43.jpg

The 70m DSS-43 dish at the CDSCC

During the mid 1960s NASA built three tracking stations in the Australian Capital Territory.

• 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. After the antenna was removed the rest of the facility was dismantled and knocked down. Its foundation, access road and parking area are all that remains of the facility.

Antennas

As of late 2016 the station has five large antennas, called Deep Space Stations (DSS), each identified by a number: DSS-34, DSS-35, DSS-36, DSS-43, and DSS-45. The CDSCC also uses the Parkes radio telescope in central New South Wales at busy times to receive data from spacecraft (then designated DSS-49). There has been ongoing construction since 2010 building additional 34 m beam waveguide antenna. Construction of DSS-35 began in July 2010. The station's collimation tower is located approximately 3 km to the north-west, on Black Hill.

section excerpt List of antennas in NASA's Deep Space Network § Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex (CDSCC).[edit]

Photo	Name	Diameter	Date operational	Date decommissioned	Notes	Bands
	DSS-33	11m	1996	2008	Small Azimuth-Elevation-Train antenna, moved to Norway in 2008 for atmospheric research	X, S
	DSS-34	34m	1997		Beam waveguide antenna, receiving/transmitting hardware underground	Transmit: X (7145-7235 MHz), S (2025-2120 MHz) Receive: X (8200-8600MHz), S (2200-2300 MHz), K (25.5-27.0 GHz), Ka (31.8-32.3 GHz), X-Band Acquisition Aid (8400-8500MHz)
File:CSIRO ScienceImage 11482 An artists impression of one of the two new antennas to be constructed at the Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex CDSCC.jpg	DSS-35	34m	2014		Operational late 2014, officially opened March 2015. Beam waveguide antenna, receiving/transmitting hardware underground. The design uses 'night sky cooling' to cool the transmitter.	Transmit: X (7145-7235 MHz) Receive: X (8200-8600MHz), Ka (31.8-32.3 GHz)
	DSS-36	34m	2016		Beam waveguide antenna, receiving/transmitting hardware underground. Dish installed August 2015, operational late 2016, officially opened November 3, 2016.	Transmit: X (7145-7235 MHz), S (2025-2120 MHz) Receive: X (8200-8600MHz), S (2200-2300 MHz), Ka (31.8-32.3 GHz)
	DSS-42	34m	1964	2000	"Hour angle/declination" antenna, original 26m antenna, later expanded to 34m, dismantled shortly after decommissioning.
File:Canberra Deep Dish Communications Complex - GPN-2000-000502.jpg	DSS-43	70m	1973		Originally 64m, enlarged 1987. Largest steerable parabolic antenna in Southern Hemisphere. Only antenna capable of communicating with Voyager 2. Weighs 3000+ tonnes, 1,272 aluminum panels. In its spare time the dish is used for radio astronomy.	Transmit: X (7145-7190 MHz), S (2090-2120 MHz Receive: X (8183-8633 MHz), S (2270-2300 MHz), L (1610-1705 MHz), K (18.0-26.5 GHz)
	DSS-45	34m	1986	2016	Was constructed for Voyager 2 Uranus flyby. Decommissioned after DSS-36 became operational	Transmit: X(7145-7190MHz) Receive: X (8200-8600MHz), S (2200-2300MHz)
File:Deep Space Station 46, 1.JPG	DSS-44/DSS-46	26m	1966	2009	X-Y axes antenna. Originally HSK at Honeysuckle Creek for Apollo program. Transferred to DSN as DSS-44 in 1974, moved to CDSCC as DSS-46 in 1983. AIAA Historical Aerospace Site	Transmit: S (2025-2120MHz) Receive: S (2200-2300MHz), S-Band Acquisition Aid (2200-2300MHz), X-Band Acquisition Aid (8400-8500MHz)
File:Parkes Radio Telescope 09.jpg	DSS-49	64m	1961		Parkes Observatory radio telescope, is sometimes used to assist with DSN operations as a receiver, with no transmission capability.

Funding

CDSCC costs about A$20 million per year to run, and is funded by NASA.

See also

• Carnarvon Tracking Station
• OTC Satellite Earth Station Carnarvon
• Parkes Observatory

External links

• Partners in space: CSIRO and NASA - video
• Official CDSCC Webpage
• Official CSIRO pages
• Tidbinbilla Tracking Station tribute site
• Honeysuckle Creek tribute site
• NASA's GRO Remote Terminal System Installed at Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex