Madley Communications Centre

Madley Communications Centre is BT Group's earth satellite tracking station, between Madley and Kingstone, Herefordshire, England.

Madley Communications Centre
Earth receiving dishes
Location within Herefordshire
General information
TypeEarth station
LocationKingstone, Herefordshire
Coordinates52.03198°N 2.84049°W / 52.03198; -2.84049
Construction started1975
InauguratedSeptember 1978
OwnerBT Group
LandlordBT Group
Technical details
Floor area218 acres (0.88 km2)

Earth position

It lies on Coldstone Common at grid reference SO424374.[1] The site dates from 1975 and is in active use for international telephone, fax and television transmission and reception. The station is in the civil parish of Kingstone, although most of the former airfield is in Madley, to the west of the site. The Roman road running south from Kenchester passes close to the north of the site.

Geology of the area

The site is in a sheltered rock bowl between the Malvern Hills and the Black Mountains. This allowed the ground to take the weight of the large receiving dishes, but the most important fact was the lack of background electronic noise. What nearby electronic noise there was compared to the strength of heat felt on the Moon from an electric fireplace on Earth.

History

The site first went into service in September 1978[2] on the site of the disused World War II airfield RAF Madley,[3] built in 1940.

Structures

There are over 65 dishes, the smallest being 90 cm with the three main dishes each having a diameter of 32 metres and weighing 290 tonnes. Madley 1, the first of the dishes, tracks a satellite about 22,236 miles (35,785 km) away, positioned over the Equator in geostationary orbit. The site covers a range from 66 degrees east to 314 degrees east, covering two thirds of the planet.

Transmissions

Madley was the first UK satellite site to transmit a fully digital transmission via time division multiple access (TDMA).

Until its closure in 2008, Goonhilly in Cornwall provided a similar role.

Other use of grounds

The grounds are leased as an educational nature reserve, Madley Environmental Study Centre.

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References
  1. Tony Reeve (2005). "SMR record 42062 - Madley Satellite Communication Centre". Historic Herefordshire Online. Retrieved 2006-09-10.
  2. BBC news report of anniversary celebrations, 25 September 2008
  3. Hilary White (1992). "SMR record 12530 - Airfield, Madley". Historic Herefordshire Online. Retrieved 2006-09-10.
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