A Guide to the History of Richardson, Texas: Structures

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Structures

COLLINS RADIO ANTENNA BUILDING (Bldg. 403)

Collins Radio Antenna Bildg.

From the forthcoming book, RICHARDSON: A History of One of the Biggest Small Cities in Texas

In 1961, The Dallas Morning News announced that Goddard Space Flight Center of NASA had awarded the Alpha Corporation, the Collins Radio subsidiary located at 820 East Arapaho Road, "a $1,276,00 contract to equip an Alaskan communications station" near Fairbanks. "The system," the paper reported, "will be used in tracking and receiving data from NASA scientific satellites and in determining world-wide weather conditions."

In June 1962, The News reported that a giant antenna with a "60-foot-diameter parabolic reflector" was being built erected "by Collins Radio Co., near its Richardson plant." Several months later, in early 1963, this antenna, located at what was called the Collins Radio Arapaho Tracking Station, was used to track the flight of Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper and "pick up direct telemetry signals from the capsule and snatches of 'live' conversation between Cooper and Cape Canaveral." This was indeed an exciting time!

Actually, there were two antennas. The second, the dimensions of which I have been unable to ascertain, was smaller in diameter and height than the 60-foot dish. Unfortunately, neither one is there any longer, and there is no trace to be seen today.

However, the building from which the radio antennas were controlled is still there, at 1300 International Parkway, although it is no longer owned by Collins. Today, it is occuped by a company called PCI.

Interesting Side Note: In the late 1960s, this building was featured in a low-budget science fiction movie, "Mars Needs Women," starring former Disney child star Tommy Kirk. In one scene, the large radio antenna can be seen too.

LOCATION: 1300 International Parkway, north of E. Arapaho Road. Google Maps