These images are from an undated brochure entitled, Earth Station for Communicating by Satellites.

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A ring of concrete some 200 feet across and 16 feet high will provide a secure foundation for the radome and the 340-ton antenna. The inner rings are for 2 tracks and a raised gear to move the antenna horizontally about the center point.

 

The radome, largest air-inflated structure in the world, is 161 feet high and 210 feet across. It is made of fabric and synthetic rubber and if laid flat on the ground would cover 3 acres. People and trucks enter through air lock doors to prevent deflation.

 

The horn antenna is shown under construction inside the radome. The 70-foot ring gear, at right, will move the antenna vertically to follow the world-circling Telstar satellite.

 

The completed horn reflector antenna is almost 180 feet long, and 95 feet high—a 340-ton steel and aluminum structure built with the precision of a fine watch. It is used for sending and receiving communications by space satellites.

 

Foreground, shows work under way on the 140 by 100-foot central control building. Underground cables and heating pipes connect this building with the radome one quarter mile away.

 

The completed control building houses the computing, tracking and telephone terminal equipment as well as emergency power generators. A precision tracker antenna is mounted on the tower shown at the left and a multi-spiral command and telemetry antenna is at the right.

 

Bell System's Earth station and Andover, Maine. Late Spring 1962, it will be used for Project Telstar experiments, looking toward overseas telephone and television service via satellites in space.