Stanford’s Dish

A radio telescope designed and built by Stanford Research Institute under a program supported by the Air Force Office of Aerospace Research and the Defense Atomic Support Agency was installed late in September on the campus of Stanford University. Because of the scientific significance of the joint SRI‐Stanford project, the trustees of the University passed a special resolution exempting the 150‐foot steel‐and‐aluminum parabolic antenna from their long‐standing ban against visible structures among the campus foothills. The Stanford radio telescope, which was constructed at a cost of $350 000, is equipped with a 20–55‐megacycle transmitter which will be operated by the University with the support of the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories. The transmitter’s million‐watt input will give the dish a 300–400‐kilowatt probe for use in exploring the solar system. The antenna is hoped to be in operation by the end of the year.

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