The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) is a ground station that is located in Australia at Tidbinbilla in the Paddys River (a tributory of the Cotter River) valley, about half an hour's drive out of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. The complex is part of the Deep Space Network run by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It is commonly referred to as the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station and was officially opened on 19 March 1965 by the then Prime Minister of Australia Sir Robert Menzies.
The station is separated from Canberra by the Murrumbidgee River, but most notably by the Coolamon Ridge and Urambi Hills, but mainly by Bullen Range, that help shield the city's radio frequency (RF) noise from the dishes. Located nearby is the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.
The CSIRO manages most of NASA's activities in Australia.
In February 2010 CSIRO took over direct management of the site with the establishment of CASS (CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science). Previous to this CDSCC had been managed by external sub-contractor organisations, such as Raytheon Australia from 2003-2010.
The complex is one of just three in the world. The other two are the Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex located in Spain and the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in the United States.
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During the mid 1960s NASA built three tracking stations in the Australian Capital Territory.
As of mid 2010 the Station has three large antennas in use. The CDSCC also uses the Parkes radio telescope in central New South Wales at busy times to receive data from spacecraft. There are plans to build up to three additional 34 m beam waveguide antennas by 2015. The first of these will be DSS-35 with preliminary construction having begun in July 2010. [1]
The station's collimation tower is located approximately 3 km to the north-west, on Black Hill.
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