Goddard- Madrid, Goldstone, Canberra Tracking Stations. (silent, 1970)

This 1970 film documents the operations of NASA’s Deep Space Network tracking stations located in Madrid, Spain; Goldstone, California; and Canberra, Australia. It features a combination of exterior and interior shots, showing the large 85-foot tracking antennas, control rooms, and staff operating recording and communication equipment. At the Madrid station, viewers see the antenna set against the city backdrop, technicians at consoles, and monitors displaying images of astronauts. The Goldstone segment highlights the desert landscape with cacti and mountains, providing views of the station’s facilities and personnel at work. In Canberra, the film captures the Tidbinbilla station, including signage referencing its operation by the Australian Department of Supply on behalf of NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The film emphasizes the coordinated global effort required to support deep space missions, illustrating the essential role of these ground stations in tracking spacecraft and relaying data across continents.

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