Apr 29 1966
From The Space Library
One of the world's largest and most sensitive automatic space tracking and telemetry antennas was officially dedicated at Goldstone, Calif. Newest facility in NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), 210 ft. dish antenna was U.S.'s largest fully steerable antenna and world's largest built for research by spacecraft. Operated by JPL, $14-million antenna would be used to track future Mariners and other spacecraft to Mars, Venus, and even Pluto on the outer reaches of the solar system. Dedication ceremonies, hosted by JPL Director Dr. William H. Pickering, included addresses by Sen. Clinton P. Anderson (D-N. Mex.), chairman of Aeronautical and Space Sciences Committee, and Rep. George P. Miller (D-Calif.) , chairman of Science and Astronautics Committee. NASA Deputy Administrator Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., and Edmond C. Buckley, NASA Associate Administrator for Tracking and Data Acquisition, also participated. (NASA Release 66-88; MSC Roundup, 4/29/66)
NASA had selected three firms-Computer Div. of Control Data Corp., Industrial Electronics Div. of General Electric Co., and the Univac Div. of Sperry Rand Corp.-for competitive negotiations leading to an estimated $20 million contract to provide a new computing system at MSFC. (MSFC Release 66-89)
McDonnell Aircraft Corp. received a $2,071,882 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract from AFSC for work on Gemini spacecraft heat shield for Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL). (DOD Release 356-66).
NASA's 210-ft.-diameter Deep Space Network antenna, dedicated at Goldstone, Calif.
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