2023: A Year in Highlights
Dec 21, 2023
A FOREWORD FROM OUR CEO:
"It’s been a bumper year of growth at Goonhilly. We wanted to thank you for your support and share some of the highlights of 2023 as we look forward to a prosperous 2024. Goonhilly has been at the heart of some of the most exciting missions of the year. We have supported ispace and ISRO lunar missions, the UK’s first space launch, and an ISRO mission to study the Sun at Lagrange Point 1. That’s all in addition to supporting numerous ESA missions and delivering the
secure satcom services that our 'near-space' customers know and trust.
We also completed our acquisition of COMSAT in the USA and we’re now well on our way to having global coverage of both GEO and lunar orbits.
It has been perhaps our most exciting year to date, so grab your mince pie and mulled wine, and join us as we celebrate all things Goonhilly in 2023!"
In 2022, Holly Holmes, a then-Year-10 student from Cornwall, attended our Annual Summer School . Now in Year 12, Holly has kindly taken the time to update us on the impact that her time with us has had on her studies, confidence levels, and plans for the future. Thank you Holly for sharing your experiences in this brilliant blog post! We’re thrilled to hear that the experience meant so much to you!
From supporting new missions to winning awards and even appearing on kids' TV - enjoy a round up of our highlights from 2023!
Interview with Tanya Boardman and Roisin Clear for International Women's Day 2023.
60 years ago today, on 11th July 1962, Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall, UK made world history.
The above image, and those below, were acquired from NOAA 18 (on 137.9125 MHz), and NOAA 19 (on 137.100 MHz) during daytime passes here at Goonhilly. In preparation for our annual Summer School programme , Goonhilly’s Deep Space Network Operators have been busy preparing a project that will enable students to receive images from NOAA weather satellites. During the practical demonstration, students will be able to discover what the weather is currently doing across the North Atlantic and Western Europe. By repeating the receiving process several times, as the satellites pass over, the students will be able to track the weather over time, and predict how the weather here in Cornwall will change. In addition to equipping students with the theoretical and practical skills to receive real-time satellite transmissions for themselves, the project will also highlight the diverse ways in which we rely on Low Earth Orbit satellites in our everyday lives. Other projects and lessons planned for the attendees of the week-long programme will help them to learn about the different methods, materials, and techniques that make Goonhilly’s world-leading satellite communications work a reality. Here at Goonhilly, we believe in the value of a hands-on approach to complement theoretical learning. By preparing this project, the Deep Space Network Operations Team hopes to not only train valuable skills but also promote the enjoyment that comes from gaining knowledge via self-discovery. The team looks forward to offering the Summer School students an insight into what training as an Operator entails, and what it means to play a critical role in the UK’s future in space.
In a world first our Deep Space Communications Antenna, GHY-6 , acquired telemetry, including images, of the martian surface.
In collaboration with BAE GES engineers were able to successfully capture the Direct-To-Earth signal 'tones' used by NASA/JPL to indicate the successful operation of the Mars 2020 spacecraft Perseverance, by our GHY-6 Deep Space Antenna.
Visitors will be escorted at all times by a representative of GES and it is critical that you only access the areas on site that are relevant to the nature of your visit. Contractors working on site may not always be under direct supervision, so with this in mind you will be required to: Comply with your risk assessments and any additional safe working procedures. Report to your GES representative when you arrive and before you leave our site. Comply with all specific rules if working as part of a construction project. Work in a professional and considerate manner. Clear all generated waste and leave work areas in a safe condition.
As you play your part in helping stop the spread of Covid-19 by 'staying home and saving lives' allow us to share with you our passion for all things Space related. Every amazing journey starts with a single step, so who knows, maybe yours will start with a single click...
Goonhilly Earth Station, one of Cornwall’s most iconic locations, will be staging an event this summer to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing. Apollo 50 is a one-off special event on Saturday 20th July that will celebrate this monumental anniversary of history with an educational and entertaining day of music, science, art, and culture. The Goonhilly satellite communications site based on Cornwall’s Lizard peninsula played a pivotal role in broadcasting the Moon landing in 1969. “Arthur”, once the largest satellite dish in the world and named after King Arthur, signalled the dawn of the space age when it beamed images of the 1969 moon landing to millions of homes around the World. The first musical acts to be announced to play the event are Art-rock band Public Service Broadcasting who will be bringing their full audio-visual show to the iconic dishes at Goonhilly Earth Station, along with The Radiophonic Workshop, “A Love From Outer Space”, the brain child of DJ & producers Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston and Cornwall’s very own Bowie Lounge. Following recent sold out concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and the Natural History Museum, Public Service Broadcasting will perform songs from their 2015 album The Race for Space, a concept album that relives the story of the American and Soviet space race. Event Director Alec Short said “Goonhilly’ s iconic dishes, the history of the site and its plans for the future makes this such an exciting venue to stage a concert. To have Public Service Broadcasting performing ‘Race for Space’ and The Radiophonic Workshop in the vicinity of the giant dishes will be an almost immersive unforgettable concert experience…” Radiophonic Workshop, who were the BBC’s sound effects department, have been responsible for creating other-worldly soundtracks to some of BBC television and radio’s most iconic programmes like Doctor Who, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Horizon. Using early electronics, synthesisers and tape machines, the Workshop’s influence on popular music has been profound and enduring. Goonhilly Earth Station was also mentioned in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, when its dishes failed to detect the Vogon invasion that ultimately led to the end of the world. Andrew Weatherall, producer of Primal Scream’s seminal Screamadelica album, and Sean Johnston will also be bringing their experiment in interplanetary audio ‘A Love from Outer Space’ guiding you on a 4-hour trip through the deepest realms of space at the after-show party in The Old Visitor Centre. A lot more content is due to be released soon including films, guest speakers and art installations, but you can now buy tickets for this strictly limited capacity event from the event’s website apollo50.co.uk. Please note there will be no camping or parking at Goonhilly Earth Station, but the event will have car parks and a basic campsite nearby that will be linked by a Park & Ride service.
Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd (Company No-06896077) VAT No: 109807310 - Registered office: Goonhilly Downs, Helston, Cornwall, TR12 6LQ.