NASA Revamps Historic 4-Million-kg Mars Antenna

coondoggie writes NASA is working on some difficult renovations to reinvigorate its 70-meter-wide 'Mars antenna.' The antenna, a key cog in NASA's Deep Space Network, needs about $1.25M worth of what NASA calls major, delicate surgery. The revamp calls for lifting the antenna — about 4 million kilograms of finely tuned scientific instruments — to a height of about 5 millimeters so workers can replace the steel runner, walls and supporting grout."

Comments

We had to do this with a 7 million kg antenna

[Anonymous Coward]

We had to go through this with a 7 million kilogram antenna at the Green Bank Telescope:

http://www.gb.nrao.edu/gbt/track.shtml

The original azimuth track wore down too quickly, apparently due to faulty materials, workmanship, etc. You can see photos of the scope rotating out of the way sections of the track could be replaced at a time.

Re:Just Goldstone is Being Worked On?

[bruce_the_loon]

Maybe only this one is experiencing the problems with the bearing surface at this point.

I agree we need more antennae for this work, especially with the increase in probes that NASA is supposed to be making.

Re:Happened where I work

[mangu]

Just to mention another interesting detail, this earth station I mentioned has Wernher von Braun's signature in the visitor's book.