Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex

Goldstone was the first site chosen for a Deep Space Station. The location was selected because it is remote from power lines and free of interference from commercial radio and television transmitters, which can impede reception of the very weak signals sent by the spacecraft. The remote location of the Mojave Desert in California, near the ghost mining town of Goldstone, was determined to be an optimal location for this new space communication platform. Thus the Goldstone facility was conceived and, in 1958, construction began on the Pioneer Deep Space Station (DSS-11) antenna.
Please Note: Goldstone is not an Observatory with optical telescopes. We do not offer night-time programs. Our work is in two-way robotic spacecraft communication and radio astronomy.