Original Antenna Date: 12.01.1958 The first station of what would become the Deep Space Network was located at Goldstone, Calif. It was named after Pioneers 3 and 4, the first spacecraft with which it communicated in December 1958 and March 1959. The antenna, based on a radio telescope design, was manufactured and erected during a seven-month period. The antenna's communication with Pioneer 4 to a distance of 650,000 kilometers was a record-setting achievement at the time.
