HartRAO Home

HartRAO Home > DSS51 History > DSS51 Control Room

Control Room of Deep Space Station 51 at Hartbeesthoek

What is now the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory was originally built in 1961 by NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the USA, as a tracking station for its probes that were being sent to explore space beyond Earth orbit.

The pictures below were taken in the control room of the station during the NASA era.

ctrl_rm0001
Click on the image for large version

Jack Goddard at the communications controller.

ctrl_rm0002
Click on the image for large version

Jack Goddard in the "shark tank". The "shark tank" was a glass-enclosed area in the centre of the large control room.

ctrl_rm0003
Click on the image for large version

Another view inside the "shark tank".

ctrl_rm0004
Click on the image for large version

Engineers at work on equipment in 19" racks inside the control room.

ctrl_rm0005
Click on the image for large version

Candid camera photograph dated 24 June 1968.

ctrl_rm0006
Click on the image for large version

First of three rare colour photographs of the control room.

ctrl_rm0007
Click on the image for large version

ctrl_rm0008
Click on the image for large version

Teletypes in the communications room.