Giant antenna propped up, ready for joint replacement
Thursday, July 15, 2010 - 10:14
in Astronomy & Space
Workers at NASA's Deep Space Network complex in Goldstone, Calif., have been making precise, laser-assisted measurements to ensure a flat surface for pouring new grout as part of a major renovation on the 70-metre-wide (230-foot-wide) 'Mars antenna.' While officially dubbed Deep Space Station 14, the antenna picked up the Mars name from its first task: tracking NASA's Mariner 4 spacecraft, which had been lost by smaller antennas after its historic flyby of Mars...