The USB 9 metre antenna with the cherry picker in the foreground.
The cherrypicker is next to one of the HF steerable beam antennae.
Photo: John Lambie.
The 9 metre USB Apollo antenna
The 9 metre (30 foot) USB antenna, like those installed elsewhere in the MSFN, was designed to support Apollo missions in Earth orbit or in the near-Earth phases of lunar missions. In emergencies, the 30 foot antenna could support lunar operations, though margins would be much lower than ideal.
Being smaller, the antenna could easily track an Apollo spacecraft in low earth orbit.
Construction photos here.
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The USB 9 metre antenna with the cherry picker in the foreground. The cherrypicker is next to one of the HF steerable beam antennae. Photo: John Lambie. |
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The USB 9 metre antenna. Photo: John Lambie. |
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The USB 9 metre antenna in 1971. Photo: Tom Sheehan. |
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The 9 metre antenna. Photo: Terry Kierans. |