Elysburg ground based satellites

[ra7850]

Can anyone identify what this facility might be? it's located around Elysburg, PA.

here are the coordinates;

40 53'36.65 North
76 26'22.77 West

[awattam]

I read somewhere that its a NSA data gathering facility known as Roaring Creek but that was on one of those conspiracy websites so dont know if that has any credibility.

[benrussellpa]

It's an old AT&T Earth Station, although some things I read online indicate that it is still in operation and the imagery on Google shows vehicles in the parking lot.

Here's another old Earth Station in California that is/was for sale:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/us...lion.html?_r=0

Information on Earth Stations and other relics of the Cold War and original national microwave networks can be found here:

The Microwave Radio and Coaxial Cable Networks of the Bell System

If you Google AT&T Catawissa, you'll get listings for this location located on, conveniently enough, Earth Station Rd. If it is NSA, they're hiding in plain site.

[benrussellpa]

I have to amend my previous post to include this Wired article that specifically mentions the Catawissa site as a currently active AT&T international satellite hub that is tapped by the NSA.

The NSA Is Building the Country's Biggest Spy Center (Watch What You Say) | Threat Level | Wired.com

The eavesdropping on Americans doesn’t stop at the telecom switches. To capture satellite communications in and out of the US, the agency also monitors AT&T’s powerful earth stations, satellite receivers in locations that include Roaring Creek and Salt Creek. Tucked away on a back road in rural Catawissa, Pennsylvania, Roaring Creek’s three 105-foot dishes handle much of the country’s communications to and from Europe and the Middle East. And on an isolated stretch of land in remote Arbuckle, California, three similar dishes at the company’s Salt Creek station service the Pacific Rim and Asia.

[ra7850]

Thanks for the information and the links. Now I'm gonna have to go back and see what security is in the area. that would be a sure sign as to its use and functionality. I'm sure if it's really NSA tapped the security should be visible everywhere.

Robert

[n3obl]

looked like a guard shack in the sat pics.