Construction of the Deep Space Network's newest antenna - Deep Space Station 35 - reaches an important milestone this week.
Three major parts are now ready to be joined together in a massive operation starting in the next few days. The base structure and azimuth drives are already in place on the base track, and next to that the 34-metre dish structure and quadlegs and subreflector have been constructed.
The plan is to use a massive 600 tonne crane to lift the 125 tonne dish as a single piece and place it delicately on the base structure. Basically flying the dish more than 20 metres in the air. All going well, the next day the quad and subreflector will also be hoisted into place and bolted into the heart of the dish.
Click to view attachment
A dish has never been moved as a single piece before, so it will an amazing operation to watch.
And you can watch through three webcams*:
http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsn/images/r...me/latestC1.jpg
http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsn/images/r...me/latestC2.jpg
http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsn/images/r...me/latestC4.jpg
The fun starts from 2100GMT Thursday 9th May, 2013
That's 0700 Friday 10th May in Canberra.
* webcams update every 30-60 seconds.
Full Version: Canberra DSN - DSS35
Cool! I just came across this very atmospheric (hah!) early morning C2 image:
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Airbag
Click to view attachment
Airbag
Are the low hills useful in blocking terrestrial radio sources?
Yes. The wide valley that the tracking station is nested in is ideal for blocking/reducing line of sight terrestrial radio noise.
Roughly a 6-8 degree masking horizon. Still gives us plenty of cross-over time with Goldstone and Madrid.
Roughly a 6-8 degree masking horizon. Still gives us plenty of cross-over time with Goldstone and Madrid.
):
And the final images, down again (the webcam updates seem to have stopped):
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment
Airbag
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment
Airbag
Nice Flicker animation here of the early stages of the lift.
http://t.co/HWIEcgIv0Z
EDIT: Lift has gone very smoothly. Considering moving the quadleg and subreflecftor structure today if possible.
http://t.co/HWIEcgIv0Z
EDIT: Lift has gone very smoothly. Considering moving the quadleg and subreflecftor structure today if possible.
Crews are now in the process of checking the fit of the new dish to the base structure.
There will be a bit of shuffling no doubt as they align the dish to the beam waveguide tube.
Click to view attachment
Certainly an amazing job performed today. Temperature at the start of the lift was zero degrees Celcius (32 F). No wind.
Entire lift took about 40 minutes from ground hover to connection to base.
BTW - DSS45 in the background is tracking Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter at the moment.
There will be a bit of shuffling no doubt as they align the dish to the beam waveguide tube.
Click to view attachment
Certainly an amazing job performed today. Temperature at the start of the lift was zero degrees Celcius (32 F). No wind.
Entire lift took about 40 minutes from ground hover to connection to base.
BTW - DSS45 in the background is tracking Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter at the moment.
Quad lift should start shortly 
You guys make it look like you're playing with Tinkertoys and not a dish the size of a building. Great job to all of you.
When DSS45 made its first tilt, right at the beginning of the lift, was it also looking at Mars then?
When DSS45 made its first tilt, right at the beginning of the lift, was it also looking at Mars then?
Yes, we were tracking MRO and Odyssey when the dish was being lifted.
Later we were tracking Geotail as the quad was being moved.
It really has been a great day.
Click to view attachment
Later we were tracking Geotail as the quad was being moved.
It really has been a great day.
Click to view attachment
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