Richard Stephenson is an Operations Supervisor at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex

What is your role at CDSCC?
I am one of four Operations Supervisors at Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) and lead Team A. Team A has 6 spacecraft link controllers who support various activities for NASA. These activities include spacecraft tracking, Radio Astronomy and Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) experiments.

The team also looks after the Complex outside of normal working hours by responding to equipment failures and emergencies. My role is to coordinate the team through these activities as well as ensuring that they have the resources required to carry out their work. As Chief Warden during critical incidents it is also my job to coordinate responses to any problems on site. These could include fire, accident, injury or potential environmental damage.

How did you get the job?
After leaving High School I wanted to join the merchant navy as a radio officer. I started out at Riversdale Marine College in Liverpool, UK and after 3 years completed my Higher National Certificate (Australian Advanced Diploma) in Electronics, Radio and Radar. Just before finishing my last year a lecturer walked into the classroom and said "who wants to work for NASA in Australia". Thoughts of joining the navy evaporated and I applied for the job at CDSCC.

How long have you been working here?
I started at CDSCC in February 1988 and was recruited to help cover the Voyager 2 Neptune encounter. I had until August 1989 to become proficient as a Controller.

What's the most important or amazing thing you have been a part of at CDSCC?
Over the past 23 years I've been involved in many projects which have amazed me. My first experience with the Voyager 2 encounter with Neptune was very memorable and is still quite vivid in my memory 22 years on. Seeing the returned pictures of Neptune getting bigger and bigger as Voyager approached the planet, the encounter then Triton flyby was amazing (and you never forget your first).

The innovations of the engineers who built the various spacecraft and especially the Landers never cease to amaze me. I can still remember thinking that the "airbag" landing of the Mars Pathfinder would never work and the smile on my face when we acquired the first "call home" signal after it had landed safely. More recently the Mars phoenix mission where as the Lander was descending we had Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and Mars Odyssey (MO10) taking pictures of its decent and relaying telemetry from the Lander in real time giving us second by second reports of parachute deployment, velocity and height measurements and ultimately touchdown. It felt like you were riding along side phoenix on the way down. The beauty of this industry is that there is always something more ingenious and more creative just around the corner. We recently launched Juno on its mission to Jupiter and in November 2011 the biggest Mars rover ever will head to the launch pad, hopefully to provide more jaw dropping experiences.

What's the best thing about working at CDSCC?
The variety in my work has always been something I've enjoyed and has kept the job fresh all these years. The different projects coming and going always provides interest in the control room as does handling huge pieces of machinery which, when things go wrong, could see you having to scale an antenna at 3am in the morning to get it running again. The beautiful countryside and drive in to work with no peak hour traffic to contend with just adds to the attraction of working at CDSCC.

What is your role at CDSCC?
I am responsible for maintaining four atomic clocks, two Hydrogen maser and two Caesium beam tubes. These clocks provide the very precise time that is required to run the antennas and equipment.

What experience did you have to get the job?
I completed an advanced diploma in Electronic engineering at the Canberra institute of Technology, specialising in Communications Electronics in 2000. Before CDSCC I work at the radio stations FM104.7 and 2CA. I maintained the tape machines and radio transmitters.

How long have you been working here?
I've been at CDSCC for the past 14 years.

What's the most important or amazing thing you have been a part of at CDSCC?
The most exciting thing I was involved in was the landing on Mars of the two rovers Spirit and Opportunity in January 2004. CDSCC supported the two landings. The excitement and build up to the landing was infectious and watching the events unfold was amazing. When we knew finally knew all was good the whole group felt so relived and happy. What an achievement!.

What's the best thing about working at CDSCC?
The sense of community. We are like a small town with all the people needed to get the job done. All with a sense that we are involved in something big, the exploration of space and improving our understanding of it.

What is your role at CDSCC?
I am a Link Control Operator in the main Operations Room at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC). We track and record data from spacecraft and ship it to the appropriate destination overseas. My job involves ensuring that our systems are ready and that the antennas are positioned and have all the resources required to communicate with, and process data from spacecraft exploring the solar system and beyond.

What experience did you have to get the job?
Actually none!! I had several jobs which required shift work so was used to the odd hours and all I had was a Year 12 high school certificate. I learned everything I needed to know on the job.

How long have you been working here?
10 years. I am on one of four teams at CDSCC that rotates on an 8-day, 12-hour shift roster (2 day shifts then 2 night shifts and four days off). Each shift goes from 7am-7pm then 7pm to 7am.

What's the most important or amazing thing you have been a part of at CDSCC?
The highlight for me is probably the two Rovers landing on Mars in 2004.

What's the best thing about working at CDSCC?
My Team. The environment of helping each other and working as a team rather than separate people, Feeling that you are making a contribution to something greater in your day to day job, plus some of the images and information that we record can be pretty amazing .

The Tidbinbilla Team
CDSCC employs approximately 110 full- and part-time staff members. The personnel at CDSCC are Australian citizens, but come from different places around the world.

What do they do?
There are five major sections at CDSCC which are responsible for operation of the facility 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. Their jobs range from administration, logistics and stores, grounds maintenance, engineers and technicians, building services and allied trades, education, training, and spacecraft communication.

Operations (OPS) staff work in the main antenna control centre. Four teams work on a rotating 12-hour shift, ensuring that the antennas are operational and that spacecraft tracking and communication is being maintained. OPS members are technicians with expertise in spacecraft communication, data analysis, antenna operation and radio frequencies.

Antenna and Site Facilities (ASF) looks after the overall maintenance and operational readiness of the mechanical and structural areas of the Complex. ASF staff range from mechanics, electricians, engineers and antenna maintenance crews. They ensure that antennas are always
working in peak condition, power systems are online and that all buildings, grounds and related services are maintained.

Systems Engineering (SE) employs engineers and technicians to maintain all of the electronics, and computer hardware and software systems at CDSCC. SE teams are responsible for the antenna transmitters and receivers, timing systems, signal processors, antenna calibration, plus internal/external communication links.

Business Management Group (BMG)
performs the vital administrative tasks needed to ensure daily operation. BMG staff provide services such as financial management, logistics and stores, documentation and catering.

Human Resources (HR)
provides services including: recruitment, leadership and staff training and development, EEO, OHS&E, information and records management and legislative compliance.

Public Relations (PR) look after all of the education and outreach services provided by CDSCC to the public and media. PR staff manage the Visitor Centre, providing information to 70,000 visitors a year including thousands of school children on excursions.

CDSCC also employs a number of contractors who provide a variety of services including operation of the Moon Rock Café, site security and cleaning.

How does CDSCC help the community?
Apart from the vital communication link provided by CDSCC to the knowledge gained through the exploration of space the Complex also contributes in direct ways to the local and national community.

We care for the local environment through power management, recycling of water and sewerage, and emissions management. We contribute financially through local employment, paying for services (eg:
power), and through tourism.

We also educate the next generation of space explorers, scientists and engineers.