Location

The antenna is mounted on a small concrete pillar, inside a fenced area in a mountain valley approximately 3.5km from the village of Matjiesfontein, South Africa

The site is managed by HartRAO (Hartebeesthoek, also responsible for the station HRTB)

A joint collaboration between  HartRAO   and ESA/ESOC was established in April 2017.

Equipment

In September 2017 a Septentrio PolaRx4 receiver was installed together with a Septentrio Chokering MC antenna,  providing multi-GNSS tracking from this location: GPS, Glonass, Galileo, Beidou and QZSS.

In December 2019 the equipment was upgraded to a Septentrio PolarRx5 receiver and a Septentrio PolaNt Chokering B3/E6 antenna".

A rubidium 10 MHz reference clock is planned to be installed at the site soon. 

The installation of the clock will be done together with the coating of the antenna

Photos

MTJF Antenna installation - View towards the North