The DS3 Deep Space Antenna design and construction was comissioned by the European Space Agency, ESA, near Malargﾃｼe, in the province of Mendoza, Argentina. With the existing facilities in New Norcia (Australia) and Cebreros (ﾃ」ila) the new facility will complete the system which receives signals sent by satellites that explore Mars, Venus and other planets of our Solar System. The sensitivity of the electronic equipment conceived by Canadian engineering firm SED-Systems stricltly limited the displacements of the pedestal for the parabolic antenna, 35 m in diameter, that was built in Germany by Vertex Antennentechnik. The antenna and pedestal were made to withstand winds of up to 80 km/h without exceeding rotations of 1/82,500 radians, which is the equivalent to movements at the head of the pedestal of 0.075 mm. The structure is dimensioned to withstand winds of up to 180 km/h and seismic accelerations of 0.4g.
窶｢ Construction process of the base of the antenna. 窶｢ View of the antenna just after being placed on the pedestal.
DSA-3 DEEP SPACE ANTENNA IN MALARGUE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, SITE WORKS MANAGEMENT PROJECT MANAGEMENT Mendoza, Argentina, 2010-2011