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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.

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Jack Goddard at the communications controller.

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

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Another view inside the "shark tank".

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

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Candid camera photograph dated 24 June 1968.

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First of three rare colour photographs of the control room.

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Teletypes in the communications room.